Mantel’s Wolf Hall returns to TV with diverse Tudor court
THE BBC’S new Wolf Hall series will use a diverse cast to portray the Tudor courtiers.
The TV adaptation of Dame Hilary Mantel’s historical novels about Henry VIII’S court, starring Damian Lewis and Sir Mark Rylance, first aired in 2015 to critical acclaim.
The final series, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, employs a diverse cast to portray courtiers in 16th-century England, including the portrayal of white historical figures.
The upcoming series will conclude Dame Hilary’s trilogy and cover the final years of Thomas Cromwell, played by Sir Mark. Lady Margery Seymour, the mother of Jane Seymour, will be played by Sarah Priddy, a British actress of Bahamian descent.
Thomas Wyatt, the Tudor courtier and poet who introduced the sonnet to England, will be played by Amir El-masry, an Egyptian-british actor.
Cecilia Appiah, a British mixed-race actress, will play Jane Seymour’s sisterin-law, Anne, who is called “Nan” in the show as seen in new pictures released by the BBC.
Other non-historical parts will also be played by a racially-diverse group of actors, who will star alongside incoming cast members Harriet Walter and Timothy Spall. There is no historical evidence that the Seymours had nonwhite heritage but the BBC has not confirmed whether it has adopted a policy for colour-blind casting for the roles of Anne, called “Nan” in the new series, and Lady Seymour.
Cromwell served as adviser to Henry VIII, played by Lewis, and helped pave the way for the king’s marriage to both Anne Bolyen and Jane Seymour.
The new series will begin in the immediate aftermath of Boleyn’s execution in 1536. At this time, a number of individuals of African descent within the English population are recorded, including John Blanke, Henry VIII’S trumpeter.
Jaques Francis, a contemporary salvage diver, is believed to be the first person of African descent to give evidence in an English court.
The final adaptation of Dame Hilary’s novel sequence comes almost 10 years after the initial series and follows a far greater historical focus on the black population of Tudor England, particularly following Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.
Charlotte Moore, the BBC’S chief content officer, said: “Almost a decade on we’re delighted to have reunited this exceptional team and cast to conclude Mantel’s thrilling saga on the BBC.”
The BBC has been contacted for comment.