Will Shakespeare (TV series)
| Will Shakespeare | |
|---|---|
.jpg) DVD cover | |
| Also known as | Life of Shakespeare William Shakespeare: His Life & Times |
| Created by | John Mortimer |
| Written by | John Mortimer |
| Directed by | Peter Wood Mark Cullingham Robert Knights |
| Starring | Tim Curry Ian McShane Nicholas Clay Lynette Davies Paul Freeman |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Cecil Clarke |
| Production companies | ATV, RAI |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 13 June – 18 July 1978 |
Will Shakespeare, also known as Life of Shakespeare and William Shakespeare: His Life & Times, is a 1978 British historical drama series created and written by John Mortimer. Broadcast in six parts, the series is a dramatisation of the life and times of the great poet William Shakespeare, played by Tim Curry, and was co-produced by Lew Grade's ATV and RAI and distributed internationally by ITC. The two production companies had collaborated the previous year on Jesus of Nazareth.
Cast
- Tim Curry as William Shakespeare
- Ian McShane as Christopher Marlowe
- Nicholas Clay as the Earl of Southampton
- Lynette Davies as the Countess of Southampton
- Paul Freeman as Richard Burbage
- John Normington as Alex Cooke
- Ron Cook as Jack Rice
- Richard Cordery as Henry Condell
- Ronald Herdman as Sam Crosse
- Roger Lloyd-Pack as Jack Heminge
- Patience Collier as Elizabeth I
- Meg Wynn Owen as Anne Shakespeare
Production
Each episode is based around the creation of a play and the idea of Shakespeare's life influencing his writing is used as the central plot device.[1] As there are few known facts about the life of Shakespeare, Mortimer embellished upon stories or legends about the playwright's life. These include a supposed apprenticeship with Christopher Marlowe and a homoerotic relationship with the Earl of Southampton.
Mortimer also invented a character whom the Dark Lady of Shakespeare's sonnets was supposedly based upon. The wife of a judge, she falls in love with Shakespeare after seeing his performance as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, adding a secondary storyline elaborating on class divisions.[1]
The series was filmed in Elstree Studios on a set built for Clayhanger.[2]
Episodes
All episodes are written by John Mortimer.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dead Shepherd" | Peter Wood | 13 June 1978 | |
|
In which Will progresses from ostler to cockerel to ghostwriter - to London's premier playwright as Kit Marlowe falls from grace. | ||||
| 2 | "Alms for Oblivion" | Mark Cullingham | 20 June 1978 | |
|
Will's new troupe of actors arrive in a plague-ridden London and perform Richard III to great acclaim, but a death in the family jeopardises all. A handsome rogue is not what he seems, luckily for Will. | ||||
| 3 | "Of Comfort and Despair" | Mark Cullingham | 27 June 1978 | |
|
Plague over, life returns to normal in London and the theatres reopen. The inconstancy of a dark mistress and the jealousy of an Earl conspire to enlarge Will's understanding of human nature. | ||||
| 4 | "The Loved Boy" | Mark Cullingham | 4 July 1978 | |
|
Will's taking his son to London to introduce him to life and get to know him proves to be a mixed blessing with a tragic ending. | ||||
| 5 | "Rebellion's Masterpiece" | Robert Knights | 11 July 1978 | |
|
In the wake of Essex's failure to tame the Irish rebels, the actors' brush with politics has catastrophic consequences. | ||||
| 6 | "The Living Record" | Robert Knights | 18 July 1978 | |
|
While Will pleads with the dying Queen for suicidal Hal's life, his poems are stolen, printed and distributed without his permission, setting in motion a chain of events that could prove disastrous. | ||||
Original literary material
In 1977, Hodder and Stoughton published Will Shakespeare as written by John Mortimer, author of the Rumpole series. Coronet published the paperback edition in 1977, ISBN 0-340-21979-3.
Video release
The series was initially released on VHS under the title William Shakespeare: His Life & Times.[3] A Region 1 DVD release of the series, by A & E television, was released in 2008, simply titled Will Shakespeare. Network Studio released a Region 2 DVD of the series in 2009 under the same title.
See also
- Will (TV series), a 2017 drama about Shakespeare
References
- ^ a b Michael Brooke. "Will Shakespeare (1978)". British Film Institute. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
- ^ Joseph, Michael (1980). 25 Years on ITV. London: Independent Television Books Ltd. p. 250-251. ISBN 0 900727 81 0. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ "Life of Shakespeare (1978)". IMDb. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
External links
- BFI screenonline page on Will Shakespeare (1978)
- Will Shakespeare at IMDb
.png)
