A Rose Without a Thorn

A Rose without a Thorn is a 1958 Australian television play about King Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine Howard. It was directed by Alan Burke from a play by Clifford Bax. The play was shown live in Sydney, recorded, then shown in Melbourne.

Premise
The courtship and marriage of King Henry VIII and Catherine Howard.

Cast

 * Kevin Brennan as Henry VIII
 * Margaret Wolfit as Anne of Cleves
 * Elisabeth Waterhouse as Mary Lascelles
 * Moray Powell as Thomas Cranmer
 * Margo Lee as Catherine Howard
 * Charles Tasman as Audley
 * Jerome White as Thomas Culpepper
 * John Huson as Earl of Hertford
 * Philippa Baker

Production
A Rose Without a Thorn had been performed in 1933. It was adapted for Australian radio by Max Afford in 1940, a production much revived. It was also filmed by British TV in 1948.

It was the first production directed by Alan Burke after he joined the ABC full-time. Burke would go on to be one of the leading directors of the early days of Australian television. Seven different sets were used in the program.

It was broadcast in a series of "live" dramas on Sunday night on ABV-2 Melbourne. In order, they were The Governess, The Last Call, The Rose without a Thorn, The Lark, Citizen of Westminster, and Enemy of the People (the last of "the season").