Wolf Hall: Parts One and Two

This six hour live Tudor mini-​series ended its 15 week run a few weeks ago. I caught the last two shows and though I know this is closed, I love hearing myself talk in any medium, so here we go. Just from basic historical accounts, Henry VIII was an overall a**hole, not in any way a good dude and his most prolific contribution to society was Elizabeth I, that Virgin Queen who for decades ruled England as she provided it a Golden Age. Without fail, the majority of those who closely advised the King lost their heads.
Knowing that I went into both parts of this play understanding that it was an interpretation of a book based on historical events that may or may not have happened at the tail end of the marriage between Henry VIII & Catherine of Aragon. The tail’s end is named Anne Boleyn and just based on historical texts that woman got a raw deal if there ever was one. Sure she was a temptress and the King created a whole new Church so he could marry her, but this play is truly about the rise and further rise of Thomas Cromwell, an arechtypal lawyer if there ever was one.
The first part of the play deals with Cromwell’s need to hide his religious beliefs and thereby save his family from being punished as heretics, his elevation as the King’s left hand as his master Cardinal Wolseley falls from favor and the beginning of the sh*t list he drafts for all those who have wronged his former master. Cromwell is the Lord of the Dance, not only able to manipulate the seemingly weak-​minded (but obliviously pious) King into having what he desires (or what Cromwell wishes him to desire) but also able to save his own head in the process of getting others chopped off.
Here Anne Boleyn is portrayed as a shrewd harpie, Catherine a strong God-​fearing woman not afraid of defying the King and Wolseley as a man betrayed while a cast of 27 other main characters delivered lines in believable British accents with dialogue that landed both seriously and wittily, as needed. King Henry ended up having six wives total and this play portrays Cromwell as the mastermind who made that happen. He is shown as a man of murky morals who ended up writing most of the legislation that the King used to rule England. By the end of Part 2, the trail of bodies that followed his machinations were significant and while he did feel some guilt, the actor playing Cromwell was able to evoke a determination and will that made it seem as if all those deaths were necessary for revenge, to keep the King happy, for his own ends, a million reasons and none at all.
Wolf Hall was nominated for a slew of Tonys and lost them all to «The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night Time,» which is criminal because the man playing Cromwell and the 29 other cast members deserved their standing ovations at both showings. However, its understandable why it had a short run, a six-​hour Broadway play, in proper English with a main cast of dozens is a lot for me to handle and I love the theater. I hope that this show is resurrected in some form. The quality of the writing, acting and direction all screamed live BBC, PBS and Masterpiece Theater what have you that I have rarely seen on Broadway. Thank you, Wolf Hall, I’m overwhelmingly happy I do not live in 16^th century England.

I saw part one yesterday I’m going to see part two tomorrow. It’s WONDERFUL. The cast is incredible, the visuals are stunning, they make it so easy to get engulfed in the world.