And is Damian Lewis the sexiest Henry VIII ever?....even its all about acting...we think so:-)))
But what’s with all the hype? And will it live up to the
expectations? Here’s everything you need to know…
What’s the story then?
Wolf Hall tells the story of the Tudor dynasty through the
eyes of Henry VIII’s adviser, Thomas Cromwell. We pick up the story just as
Henry VIII is trying to ditch Catherine of Aragon to marry the second of his
six wives, Anne Boleyn.
Ruthlessly ambitious, calculating and obsessed with power,
Cromwell eventually became the King’s Chief Minister and is thought to have
masterminded Anne Boleyn’s infamous downfall. To gain the trust of the King was
the ultimate prize for the rich and powerful in Tudor times, and gory
executions were the order of the day for anyone who betrayed that trust
(whether they were guilty or not).
Wolf Hall? Where have I seen that name before?
The series is based on Hilary Mantel’s novel of the same
name and its sequel, Bring Up The Bodies. According to The Guardian, there are
also plans to adapt the third novel in the series, The Mirror and the Light,
when it’s finished.
The novels have also been adapted for a theatre production
that started at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon and has
since moved to London’s West End.
What about the cast?
Let’s start with the most important one: Damian Lewis
(otherwise known as Brody in Homeland) plays King Henry VIII. Yes, unlike The
Tudors and many other Tudor dramas, Henry VIII actually has red hair in this
one.
Among the rest of the cast is Mark Gatiss, who’s taking a
break from Sherlock to play Bishop Gardiner.
Alongside Lewis and Gatiss is renowned thespian Mark Rylance
playing Thomas Cromwell and Claire Foy, who plays the ill-fated Anne Boleyn.
Will it be any good?
Well, the BBC apparently spent £7million on it, so you’d
hope so. And if it’s anything like the original novels, that money will have
been well-spent.
Unlike the previous BBC drama The Tudors, which would make
King Henry turn in his elaborately-decorated coffin for its historical
inaccuracies, we’re promised no such gaffs in Wolf Hall.
Hilary Mantel has said her ‘expectations were high and have
been exceeded,’ and she should know – she spent five years researching the
Tudors in preparation for her novels.
Wolf Hall starts next Wednesday 9 pm on BBC2
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