Period dramas are the best way to halt reality and step into an entirely different era, and if you're in need of escapism, we have a brilliant BBC series set in Henry VIII's England. With Mark Rylance taking the lead as Thomas Cromwell, The Crown’s Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn and Homeland’s Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII, Wolf Hall is perfectly cast and, dare we say, even better than 10/10. Plus, the good news keeps coming - you can binge it tonight.
The saga, which first aired on BBC Two in 2015, centres around one of the most discussed eras in British history - the reign of King Henry VIII. But, rather than telling the story through Henry, or one of his several wives, his trusted advisor Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) is placed at the centre of the narrative. The series charts his ascent to success and power, and his role as the puppeteer behind some of the King's most divisive moves - but he knows better than anyone that the monarch can change his mind about those who serve him in an instant.
With two series of Wolf Hall available to stream on the BBC tonight, here’s everything you need to know about the period drama before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Wolf Hall about?
Adapted from Hilary Mantel’s bestselling novels, the historical saga take us back to the turbulent reign of Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) and is a portrait of the remarkable rise of his enigmatic advisor Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) who, unlike those around him, came from humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful men in England. Using his impressive memory and ability to read rooms, Cromwell navigates the corridors of power within the Tudor court. This son of a blacksmith is at the forefront of complex machinations and back-room dealings to help bolster Henry’s influence.
The first six-part series begins with Henry desperate to end his marriage with Catherine of Aragon so he can marry Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy). When Catholic Cardinal Wolsey (Jonathan Pryce) fails to secure the annulment, Cromwell steps in to help start the break with Rome and the Protestant reformation. Meanwhile, with Anne failing to provide Henry with a male heir, Cromwell starts to manufacture her downfall.
The second series named Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light picks up in May 1536, Anne Boleyn has been executed, and Cromwell continues appeasing Henry while orchestrating his continued rise. Meanwhile, the King has married his third queen, Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips). Cromwell finds himself caught in the middle of a moral dilemma - wanting to do what’s right but also wanting to survive Henry’s brutal and bloody reign. There’s mass rebellion on home soil, while the threat of invasion pushes Henry’s regime to breaking point and Cromwell’s enemies are gathering in the shadows. How long can anyone survive under Henry's wilful gaze?
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Claire Foy previously spoke about taking on the role of Anne Boleyn, who’s been marred with witch-like clichés throughout history. “I felt a lot of compassion for this woman who was obviously an incredible character with such spirit and an amazing person to be around,” she previously told the BBC. “But she was just that bit too much of a powerful opponent for Cromwell, so she had to go.”
The lead star, Mark Rylance, shared how he prepared for stepping into the shoes of Cromwell. “The book in particular is so much about what Cromwell is thinking, so I really made a study of that. I tend to try and make lists of everything the characters say about themselves, and about the others,” he told the BBC. “Where the lists are too big and too long, I marked particularly eloquent passages - there's a beautiful passage where Cromwell describes what it is to serve Henry. So, I put those aside, so that I could keep referring to them,” he added.
Who’s in the cast of Wolf Hall?
The cast of Wolf Hall includes:
- Mark Rylance (The BFG, Dunkirk) as Thomas Cromwell
- Damian Lewis (Homeland) as King Henry VIII
- Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) as Cardinal Wolsey
- Kate Phillips (Miss Scarlet) as Jane Seymour
- Lilit Lesser (To Nowhere) as Princess Mary
- Claire Foy (The Crown) as Anne Boleyn
- Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Queen’s Gambit, The Maze Runner) as Rafe Sadler
- Joss Porter (The Undeclared War) as Richard Cromwell
- James Larkin (Black Mirror, McMafia) as Master Treasurer Fitzwilliam
- Richard Dillane (Pennyworth) as the Duke of Suffolk
- Will Keen (Operation Mincemeat, His Dark Materials) as Archbishop Cranmer
- Hannah Steele (The Night Manager, Black Mirror) as Mary Shelton
- Paul Clayton (The Full Monty, Him & Her) as Sir William Kingston
- Harriet Walter (Killing Eve, Succession) as Lady Margaret Pole
- Timothy Spall (Mr Turner, Death Valley) as Duke of Norfolk
- Harry Melling (The Pale Blue Eye, The Queen’s Gambit) as Thomas Wriothesley
Is there a trailer for Wolf Hall?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Wolf Hall below.
Is Wolf Hall any good?
Yes, it’s a brilliant adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s books and allows us to look at Henry VIII’s infamous reign through a completely different lens. Mark Rylance plays the complex character of Cromwell exceptionally - like in the books, he's almost unreadable, which makes his rise even more fascinating. As a viewer, you are constantly torn between admiring his intelligence, feeling disturbed by his ruthless choices and also pitying his vulnerable position as he's forever at mercy to King Henry.
How can I watch Wolf Hall?
Wolf Hall and Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
What other period dramas can I watch now?
If you want to travel to Austen England, we’d suggest Death Comes To Pemberley which is a reimagined sequel to Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice - with a murder mystery twist. The three-part series, adapted from PD James’s book, takes us to Pemberley Manor for Darcy (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth’s (Anna Maxwell Martin) annual ball. However, a bloodcurdling scream stops the festivities and unfolds into a captivating ‘whodunnit’. Death Comes To Pemberley is available to watch now on U and Channel 4. For a more modern royal period drama, we’d suggest The Queen, which stars Helen Mirren as the late Queen Elizabeth II in the wake of Princess Diana’s death. She faces mounting pressure from the former Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) to publicly react to the nation’s mourning. The Queen is available to watch now on ITVX.
