Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies

I have started Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall on several occasions, but have never had the time to commit to reading the whole thing. Normally, once I’ve given up on a book, that’s it, but something kept drawing me back to try again. So I was thrilled when I was offered a ticket to see the stage adaptations of Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon last week.

We saw both plays in one day, Wolf Hall at the 1.30pm matinee and Bring Up The Bodies at 7.30pm. I would never normally consider spending six hours in a theatre in one day, but it is testament to the quality of the productions that the time flew by. The intimacy of a small theatre works perfectly for the richness of the dialogue and the simplicity of the set design, and the use of costumes to illustrate the passing of time, both through the changing fashions and the development of characters, is highly successful.

Ben Miles is magnificent as Thomas Cromwell, compelling and full of brutal power while still showing compassion and loyalty towards those he cares about. Hilary Mantel describes Cromwell as having an “expression of stifled amusement”, and he captured this beautifully, allowing us to empathise with him when regarding the absurdity of the court. The supporting cast were equally impressive, with star turns from Lydia Leonard as Anne Boleyn and Nathaniel Parker as Henry VIII, both stubborn and petulant by turn.

I am sure these productions will come to the West End, and until then, if you need me, I’ll be finally sinking into the novels…