David Mitchell to star as Shakespeare in new BBC comedy series
- BBC sitcom Upstart Crow will focus on the early career of William Shakespeare
- Written by Ben Elton, the show will star David Mitchell, Harry Enfield and more
- The six new episodes will be broadcast on BBC2 from April 2016
The BBC has announced a major new comedy series about the life of William Shakespeare.
Upstart Crow will focus on the early career of the famous playwright, with David Mitchell cast in the lead role.
The six-part series, which has been written by Ben Elton, will also feature comic actors such as Harry Enfield, Paula Wilcox and Mark Heap.
The BBC explains: "It's 1592 and Will Shakespeare is just at the beginning of his extraordinary career.
"The series will focus on both Will's family and professional life and include the surprising stories of where many of his ideas came from. Also featured are his wife Anne and his extended family, his servant Bottom, his friends Kate and Marlowe, his theatrical troupe, and his rival Robert Greene.
"In the series, Will finds inspiration for Romeo from an unlikely source; mislays a nearly treasonous masterpiece; gets tricked into a very embarrassing pair of tights; has a spot of bother with the wife over some sonnets; meets three witches who predict great things for him; and borrows some money on some rather unusual conditions."
David Mitchell says: "I'm delighted to be playing England's greatest bard at this difficult time for bards everywhere. You just try getting work as a bard these days. It's virtually impossible."
Joining David Mitchell on screen will be Harry Enfield and Paula Wilcox as the bard's parents, with Raised By Wolves star Helen Monks as his daughter, Susannah. Meanwhile Liza Tarbuck will play Anne Hathaway; Mark Heap is Will's nemesis Sir Robert Greene; Steve Speirs takes on the role of Burbage; and Tim Downie has been cast as Marlowe.
Also on the cast list is Gemma Whelan as Kate; Dominic Coleman as Kempleton; and Rob Rouse as Bottom.
The sitcom's title comes from the first reference to Shakespeare as a writer. In a pamphlet written by playwright and poet Robert Greene in 1592, the now famous writer was attacked as an "upstart crow", implying that Shakespeare stole ideas from others.
Talking about the scripts, Ben Elton says: "I have tried very hard to think myself into Shakespeare's creative world, writing only with a small chicken feather and not changing my underpants for a year."
Elton, who co-wrote Blackadder, will be hoping this new series is better received that his last sitcom. Health and safety focused sitcom The Wright Way was voted the Worst Comedy of 2013 in the Comedy.co.uk Awards.
Upstart Crow will form part of a special series of programming on BBC Two next April which will mark 400 years since William Shakespeare's death.
BBC Comedy's Myfanwy Moore says: "We are so delighted that Ben has risen to the challenge and taken up his quill, to create such a rich, vibrant and ribald world. The BBC Two audience are in for a real treat."
BBC Two boss Kim Shillinglaw adds: "Attracting the very best creatives to BBC Two to do their most signature work is exactly what I want the channel to do and so I'm thrilled that talent of the calibre of Ben Elton, David Mitchell and Harry Enfield are bringing us this wonderfully witty new show. Comedy has always been part of BBC Two's DNA and this extraordinarily inventive new series will be a central part of BBC Two's Shakespeare celebrations next year, alongside The Hollow Crown and our live show in partnership with the RSC."
The BBC Shakespeare Festival will launch on the 23rd April 2016, timed to coincide with Shakespeare's birthday. As previously announced, also in the season will be a new version of A Midsummer Night's Dream featuring an all-star cast, including Matt Lucas in the role of Bottom.