Upstart Crow
Series 1
69%85%
It's 1592 and Will Shakespeare is at the beginning of his career. His early work is looked down on by the literary establishment, and he's not taken seriously at home. Follow the Bard's fictional early life and the rather surprising stories about where his best ideas came from.
6 Episodes
- Star Crossed Lovers
E1Star Crossed LoversIn Stratford-on-Avon Shakespeare is having trouble writing 'Romeo and Juliet' and his family's interruptions do not help so he moves back to his London lodgings. Here the play virtually writes itself when Shakespeare witnesses a real life love affair between landlord's daughter Kate and young Florian Greene, his house guest. Unfortunately life ends up mirroring art as one of the star-crossed lovers meets an untimely end. - The Play's the Thing
E2The Play's the ThingJust when Will’s controversial new play is about to be presented to Queen Elizabeth, it goes missing. As the finger of suspicion points to his best friend Marlowe, can Will come up with a way to recover his stolen masterpiece? Given its politically sensitive content, is he really wise to want it back? - The Apparel Proclaims The Man
E3The Apparel Proclaims The ManWill hopes to move up in the world when he is invited to a high-society party hosted by Lord Southampton, but is unsure what a poorly-educated country boy should wear to one of London's most upmarket events. The playwright's rival Sir Robert Greene offers him some fashion tips, but is it a double bluff, a triple bluff, or something even more fiendish? - Love is Not Love
E4Love is Not LoveWill has completed his final sonnet and senses literary immortality just around the corner. But will the fair youth and the dark lady like them as much as he hopes? And is Anne likely to be impressed that her husband’s 154 hot new love poems don’t contain much about her?
