John Mortimer (Rumpole of the Bailey) wrote this 1978 miniseries that fleshes out the few known facts about the Bard's life with a good deal of dramatic invention. The general proposition, which the six episodes here share with the two-decades-later Oscar-winning film Shakespeare in Love, is that both the plays and the poems reflect actual events in the author's life. Will Shakespeare covers a period from 1590 (when Mortimer posits the possibility of an apprenticeship with playwright Christopher Marlowe) to 1603 (when Queen Elizabeth dies and is succeeded by James I). Along the way, the series elaborates on the death of Shakespeare's son Hamnet, identifies the Dark Lady of the sonnets, suggests a homosexual relationship with an aristocratic patron, and postulates Shakespeare's possible involvement in the attempted palace coup by the Earl of Essex in 1600. In short, there is far more speculation than history in Will Shakespeare, but it also affords considerable pleasure, with opulent production values for its time, and a strong titular performance by Tim Curry, who effectively ages from an enthusiastic young man trying to break into the theatrical business to a grave establishment figure, backed by a solid supporting cast (including Ian McShane as the reckless Marlowe). DVD extras include text bios of Curry and McShane. An intriguing if highly imaginative biography of the greatest of English writers, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)
Will Shakespeare
A&E, 2 discs, 303 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95 Volume 24, Issue 2
Will Shakespeare
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