Upstart Crow
- TV sitcom
- BBC Two
- 2016 - 2020
- 21 episodes (3 series)
Sitcom about the life of jobbing playwright William Shakespeare, struggling to find inspiration in Tudor London. Also features David Mitchell, Rob Rouse, Gemma Whelan, Liza Tarbuck, Harry Enfield and more.
Streaming rank this week: 1,552
Episode menu
Series 3, Episode 4 - Sigh No More
Further details
With the great fug making London too smelly to stay in, Will and his friends have all come to Stratford.
Will hopes for some peace and quiet so he can write, but with Kate and Marlowe bickering, Hamnet obsessed with playing at soldiers, Dad busy with his new role as Master Of The Watch with not-so-able assistance of Sergeant Dogberry, and Sue excited about the upcoming masked ball, there's very little peace to be had.
But when Kate stands in for Sue at the masked ball she accidentally sets of a chain of events that leaves Sue humiliated by the other local teenagers and Will needs to come up with a ruse to turn the tables on the bullies.
Meanwhile in all the confusion Hamnet has gone missing. Anne has a pretty good idea where he might be, and sets off to get back her boy.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Wednesday 19th September 2018
- Time
- 8:30pm
- Channel
- BBC Two
- Length
- 30 minutes
Cast & crew
| David Mitchell | Will Shakespeare |
| Rob Rouse | Bottom |
| Gemma Whelan | Kate |
| Liza Tarbuck | Anne Hathaway |
| Harry Enfield | John Shakespeare |
| Paula Wilcox | Mary Arden |
| Helen Monks | Susanna |
| Steve Speirs | Burbage |
| Tim Downie | Marlowe |
| Dominic Coleman | Condell |
| Spencer Jones | Kempe |
| Rosanna Beacock | Judith |
| Joe Willis | Hamnet |
| Adrian Edmondson | Dogberry |
| Brandon Fellows | Claude |
| Joshua Wichard | Don John |
| Bessie Coates | Margaret |
| Ben Elton | Writer |
| Richard Boden | Director |
| Gareth Edwards | Producer |
| Chris Sussman | Executive Producer |
| Andy Bennions | Line Producer |
| Jake Bernard | Editor |
| Julian Fullalove | Production Designer |
| Alex Beverly | Production Designer |
| Catherine Willis | Casting Director |
| Leah Archer | Costume Designer |
| Vanessa White | Make-up Designer |
| Martin Kempton | Lighting Designer |
| Grant Olding | Composer |
| Paul Mottram | Composer |
| Kate Daughton | Commissioning Editor |
Press
Will writes Julius Caesar, having skim-read Plutarch on the privy "while awaiting the appearance of that shy turtle". Meanwhile, Ben Elton references Blackadder's "Bob" episode, as Kate auditions for a woman's role by pretending to be a hermaphrodite. All this and a Brexit gag, too.
Ali Catterall, The Guardian, 19th September 2018