“London is not going to know what hit it.”
This eagerly-awaited adventure comedy – from the performers behind immensely popular children’s TV series Horrible Histories and Yonderland – is a rambunctious and irreverent fictional take on the young William Shakespeare’s quest for fame and fortune.
It’s set during Shakespeare’s “lost years” – the crucial period, ever mysterious to academics, between his youth in Stratford-upon-Avon and his rise to fame as a playwright and court favourite in the capital.
The re-imagined Shakespeare (played by Mathew Baynton) is a hapless lute-player who leaves home to follow his dream, and becomes involved in the fortunes of kings, spies and a plot to blow up the Queen.
Mixing historical accuracy, inaccuracy and contemporary humour to hilarious effect, the Monty Python-esque casting sees the six starring cast members take on 40 roles in total.
In addition there are supporting turns from Damian Lewis, Rufus Jones and an excellent Helen McCrory (as Queen Elizabeth) in a film that will entertain children and adults alike.
