Shakespeare in Love

1998

Director: John Madden

Writer: Marc Norman - Tom Stoppard

Producer: Mark Cooper - Donna Gigliotti - Julie Goldstein - Marc Norman - David Parfitt - Bob Weinstein - Harvey Weinstein - Edward Zwick

Music: Stephen Warbeck

Art Directior: Steven Lawrence

Costume Design: Humberto Cornejo - Sandy Powell

Makeup: Veronica Brebner

 

Will Shakespeare's life is going badly. His love life is a shambles, he's always short of money, and worst of all, he has writer's block. He's supposed to be nearly finished his newest play, "Romeo and Ethel the Sea Pirate's Daughter", but in fact he hasn't written a line. At a sham audition for the play, he admires a new actor, Thomas Kent, who suddenly runs away. Soon Shakespeare meets Viola de Lesseps, who lives in the same stately home as Thomas; it's love at first sight and he's inspired to begin writing the play. But by the time he realizes that Thomas is Viola in disguise, she's promised in marriage to a lord which means that Queen Elizabeth herself expects the marriage to happen. But Will and Viola find their attraction too strong to resist; they risk the wrath of her fiance with a clandestine affair, and of the law against women on stage by having "Thomas" play Romeo. No wonder he ends up changing the play into a tragedy...

Cast List:

Joseph Fiennes ... William Shakespeare
Gwyneth Paltrow .... Viola De Lesseps
Geoffrey Rush .... Philip Henslowe
Judi Dench ... Queen Elizabeth I
Tom Wilkinson .... Hugh Fennyman
Steve O'Donnell .... Lambert (as Steven O'Donnell)
Tim McMullen .... Frees
Steven Beard .... Makepeace, the Preacher
Antony Sher .... Dr. Moth
Patrick Barlow .... Will Kempe
Martin Clunes .... Richard Burbage
Sandra Reinton .... Rosaline
Simon Callow .... Mr. Tilney, Master of the Revels
Bridget McConnell .... Lady in Waiting
Georgie Glen .... Lady in Waiting
Nicholas Boulton .... Henry Condell
Imelda Staunton .... Nurse
Colin Firth .... Lord Wessex
Desmond McNamara .... Crier
Barnaby Kay .... Nol
Jim Carter .... Ralph Bashford
Paul Bigley .... Peter, the Stage Manager
Jason Round .... Actor in Tavern
Rupert Farley .... Barman
Adam Barker .... First Auditionee
Joe Roberts .... John Webster
Harry Gostelow .... Second Auditionee
Alan Cody .... Third Auditioneer
Mark Williams .... Wabash
David Curtiz .... John Hemmings
Gregor Truter .... James Hemmings
Simon Day .... First Boatman
Jill Baker .... Lady de Lesseps
Amber Glossop .... Scullery Maid
Robin Davies .... Master Plum
Hywel Simons .... Servant
Nicholas Le Prevost .... Sir Robert de Lesseps
Ben Affleck .... Ned Alleyn
Timothy Kightley .... Edward Pope
Mark Saban .... Augustine Philips
Bob Barrett .... George Bryan
Roger Morlidge .... James Armitage
Daniel Brocklebank .... Sam Gosse
Roger Frost .... Second Boatman
Rebecca Charles .... Chambermaid
Richard Gold .... Lord in Waiting
Rachel Clarke .... First Whore
Lucy Speed .... Second Whore
Patricia Potter .... Third Whore
John Ramm .... Makepeace's Neighbor
Martin Neeley .... Paris/Lady Montague
Rupert Everett .... Christopher 'Kit' Marlowe
.

 

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