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lbarsk's review against another edition
4.0
AHHHHHHHHHH it was so good but also so wildly different than the books. I want SO BADLY to see both parts performed. This gets a 4 because (being... too familiar with the source text) it was kind of funky to see iconic lines changed around, or given to other characters, but overall this was an extremely strong adaptation of a very unique text and I will definitely be coming back to this in the future. :)
sardine164's review against another edition
5.0
Bit of a random choice, to pick up a screenplay version of Hilary Mantel's novels, since I've read the books, and seen part of the TV mini-series. This is a terrific adaptation of the books. It really transports me to the world of King Henry VIII, and Thomas Cromwell's part in it. I love the humour (which is in the books as well) - it really humanises the characters, particularly as this period in history is always treated a little seriously. I'd love to see this on stage.
Hilary Mantel's character notes at the start of the book are very interesting insights to the characters as well, and help explain some of the events.
Maybe my favourite book this year.
Hilary Mantel's character notes at the start of the book are very interesting insights to the characters as well, and help explain some of the events.
Maybe my favourite book this year.
kimberly_levaco's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A history play that seemed to not know exactly what it was, at times it was the wild viewed through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell other times it was a Shakespearean tragedy, other times a farce, this lack of identity brought down what was an otherwise well written play.
beauty_andherb00ks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
I wasn't a huge fan of the way Mantel wrote Thomas More's character, but other than that, this play was really interesting because I love Six the musical, so seeing the history behind the songs in action made for a fun reading experience.
juliethague's review against another edition
4.0
When reading this, I couldn't tear myself away. The storyline, although a story we already know the ending of, was interesting and from a perspective I'd never heard of before and the character are well represented. I fear that I have missed out now by not reading the original book first.
A criticism may be that time passes quickly and obscurely. One never knows how much time has passed from scene to scene. Also, deaths felt too sudden and fleeting. It comes at too much of a shock, for me anyway.
Overall, an enjoyable play to read and I'm bitterly disappointed I missed the production when it was running in the swan theatre of the RSC.
A criticism may be that time passes quickly and obscurely. One never knows how much time has passed from scene to scene. Also, deaths felt too sudden and fleeting. It comes at too much of a shock, for me anyway.
Overall, an enjoyable play to read and I'm bitterly disappointed I missed the production when it was running in the swan theatre of the RSC.
shortcub's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
unbyronically's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
duncanhendry's review against another edition
5.0
An absolutely fantastic piece of adapted storytelling. Obviously, first off the bat, it can be seen how much of the books is left behind, or stylistically communicated, for the want of not dragging anything out in a theatrical setting. But, even though I haven't read the full texts, I do not feel like anything is lost, you get a very convincing and whole view of Thomas Cromwell and the world around him. The pace of the piece is almost perfect - I remember watching parts of the TV adaptation and feeling like it was indulging itself way too much (and that was told over 6 hours of TV, still not the possible 15+ hours of reading time).
The character arc of Cromwell, in particular, over the two plays is beautiful: throughout Wolf Hall I felt almost an endearment to him, but by the end of Bring Up The Bodies, I am actually terrified by him. Most of Wolf Hall and the first section of Bring Up The Bodies, trade very well with light and shade, you could easily stage the whole of Wolf Hall as a farce, Cromwell enjoys being witty, his men around him enjoy being fools. The shit hasn't truly hit the fan by then.
Even for a piece which is about history, about things which (pretty much mostly) happened, these plays understand a bit of shock and suspense a lot more than I expected.
I am actually annoyed now that I never saw these two staged, when the RSC put them on in London last year (I'd also quite enjoy being in it). But now I can truly that I really want to dive into the actual novels, if only they weren't so bleeding long.
The character arc of Cromwell, in particular, over the two plays is beautiful: throughout Wolf Hall I felt almost an endearment to him, but by the end of Bring Up The Bodies, I am actually terrified by him. Most of Wolf Hall and the first section of Bring Up The Bodies, trade very well with light and shade, you could easily stage the whole of Wolf Hall as a farce, Cromwell enjoys being witty, his men around him enjoy being fools. The shit hasn't truly hit the fan by then.
Even for a piece which is about history, about things which (pretty much mostly) happened, these plays understand a bit of shock and suspense a lot more than I expected.
I am actually annoyed now that I never saw these two staged, when the RSC put them on in London last year (I'd also quite enjoy being in it). But now I can truly that I really want to dive into the actual novels, if only they weren't so bleeding long.
michaeldmcclain's review against another edition
4.0
Mike Poulton had a daunting task: adapting Hilary Mantel's two tomes detailing the life of Thomas Cromwell up to the execution of Anne Boleyn. But he adapts the two books for the stage extremely well, keeping memorable dialogue from the books intact, condensing Mantel's heavy prose into well-crafted scenes that get the point across. Hilary Mantel's essays about the main characters at the beginning of the book are also invaluable to understanding these complex characters.
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