In this penultimate episode, Will Shakeshaft has become merely a subplot to what is the main narrative of the heretic-hunter Topcliffe's pursuit of the recusant Catholic priest Robert Southwell. By now, Southwell has successfully recruited both Kit Marlowe and Alice Burbage as converts from the London theater world. But when she tempts fate by undergoing baptism, Alice Burbage is taken captive and tortured by the fiendish Topcliffe, who has also taken and burned Southwell's precious manuscript, his prayer for peace in the turbulent Tudor age.
As a backdrop to the story above, Will has now completed a draft of "Richard III." From Alice, Will is given the bright idea to humanize the tyrant Richard. With this advice, Will pays another visit to Topcliffe to interview and glean details that he might use in the play. His ultimate goal is to bring down Topcliffe by stirring up dissent in the public's mind against the sadistic undercover agent in Francis Walsingham's Elizabethan spy network.
The writers and filmmakers clearly do not understand Shakespeare's "Richard III" and the author who wrote the character that audiences love to hate. In the play rehearsal depicted in this episode, we see James Burbage playing a declamatory Richard, then his son taking over with a more subtle approach. Of course, for over three hundred years, the tradition has been for stage interpretations that recognize the external characterization of Richard explicit in the text, exactly as performed by James Burbage. But the more nuanced, Method acting approach by his son Richard is the one that will be presented to the public. The most interesting observation about the way the theater company is approaching the character of Richard is spoken by the young street urchin Presto, who believes that the London audiences will not make the connection between Richard III and Richard Topcliffe. After all, "Richard III" is about about an evil king, not the grand inquisitor.
In this episode, Will clearly indicates to Topcliffe that he is writing a biographical play about him. In a parallel subplot, Southwell approaches Kit Marlowe to write about about him! This narrative is so absurd and far-fetched that audiences who have patiently followed the program for nine episodes will have their heads spinning. Following the death of the actor Autolycus, Richard Burbage proposes a toast to a worthy fellow who "strutted his hour upon the stage." It appears that nearly everyone in this series is seeking his or her fifteen minutes of fame!
As a backdrop to the story above, Will has now completed a draft of "Richard III." From Alice, Will is given the bright idea to humanize the tyrant Richard. With this advice, Will pays another visit to Topcliffe to interview and glean details that he might use in the play. His ultimate goal is to bring down Topcliffe by stirring up dissent in the public's mind against the sadistic undercover agent in Francis Walsingham's Elizabethan spy network.
The writers and filmmakers clearly do not understand Shakespeare's "Richard III" and the author who wrote the character that audiences love to hate. In the play rehearsal depicted in this episode, we see James Burbage playing a declamatory Richard, then his son taking over with a more subtle approach. Of course, for over three hundred years, the tradition has been for stage interpretations that recognize the external characterization of Richard explicit in the text, exactly as performed by James Burbage. But the more nuanced, Method acting approach by his son Richard is the one that will be presented to the public. The most interesting observation about the way the theater company is approaching the character of Richard is spoken by the young street urchin Presto, who believes that the London audiences will not make the connection between Richard III and Richard Topcliffe. After all, "Richard III" is about about an evil king, not the grand inquisitor.
In this episode, Will clearly indicates to Topcliffe that he is writing a biographical play about him. In a parallel subplot, Southwell approaches Kit Marlowe to write about about him! This narrative is so absurd and far-fetched that audiences who have patiently followed the program for nine episodes will have their heads spinning. Following the death of the actor Autolycus, Richard Burbage proposes a toast to a worthy fellow who "strutted his hour upon the stage." It appears that nearly everyone in this series is seeking his or her fifteen minutes of fame!