Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
TNT’s ‘Will’ such stuff as dreams are made on
William Shakespeare’s plays still speak to us, but can his mysterious life?
TNT’s colorful and strangely modern “Will” strives to do just that with bawdy, baffling results. The adult drama, debuting with back-to-back episodes at 9 p.m. Monday, transforms the theater of 1589 London into a world of preening players, rowdy audiences and a rock soundtrack. Will this appeal to people who know their Coriolanus from their Titus?
Playwright Christopher Marlowe (Jamie Campbell Bower) is a strutting superstar, the Mick Jagger of his time. Will Shakespeare (Laurie Davidson) struggles to break through while dealing with condescending colleagues, money troubles, religious intrigue and family obligations. His wife and three children are back in Stratford.
“The play’s the thing,” Shakespeare tells us in “Hamlet.” But in “Will,” the main player — handsome, soulful Davidson — often transcends the uneven writing.
“Will” burns with passion when the playwright falls for Alice Burbage (Olivia DeJonge), daughter of theater impresario James Burbage (Colm Meaney). Alice, who inspires and guides Will, seems the model for his strong-willed heroines.
Little is known about Shakespeare’s time in London, but the series illustrates that he drew on acquaintances and overheard dialogue to craft his timeless works. “Shakespeare in Love,” the 1998 film, adopted a similar approach with soaring results.
The earthbound “Will” dawdles over Richard Topcliffe (Ewen Bremner), his torture of Catholics and his pursuit of Robert Southwell (Max Bennett), Shakespeare’s cousin. Excruciating violence blots the story.
All the world’s a stage of hammy acting, disagreeable bosses and goofy pranks. Actor Richard Burbage (Mattias Inwood), James’ son, is a self-absorbed pretty boy, not the theater legend of lore.
Diffident Shakespeare, who has seen better days on film, embodies the line “to be or not to be.” But he achieved greatness; it was not thrust upon him.
The most enduring writer deserved a better series than the flashy “Will,” which will never cause a tempest. Yet the series may help you brush up your Shakespeare. For his reputation, all’s well that ends well.