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Wild Laughter in the Throat of Death

Episode 2 of 6

Sitcom. Will has been working on his masterpiece. His friends say it's his best comedy yet, but Will insists Hamlet isn't meant to be funny.

Will Shakespeare has been working on his masterpiece. His friends tell him it is his greatest comedy yet, but Will insists that Hamlet isn't actually meant to be funny. In the meantime, Greene has hit on an ingenious new way to destroy Will's reputation by excluding him from his high-brow literary set, and Marlowe's reputation is in such a bad way that he could really do with being dead for a bit. Only Will's dad John is pleased because now that Will has bought him a coat of arms he is officially a gentleman, even if none of his behaviour is in any way gentlemanly.

Meanwhile, the players need another box office smash and it looks like Hamlet is going to need a bit more thinking about. As luck would have it, Will does have an idea for a new comedy but there is something not quite right about the title for Love's Labour's Licked.

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30 minutes

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Credits

Role Contributor
Condell Dominic Coleman
Kit Marlowe Tim Downie
John Shakespeare Harry Enfield
Lucy Jocelyn Jee Esien
Sir Francis Bacon Peter Hamilton Dyer
Robert Greene Mark Heap
Kempe Spencer Jones
Will Shakespeare David Mitchell
Susanna Shakespeare Helen Monks
Bottom Rob Rouse
Burbage Steve Speirs
Anne Shakespeare Liza Tarbuck
Earl of Oxford Dan Tetsell
Kate Gemma Whelan
Mary Shakespeare Paula Wilcox
Judith Shakespeare Rosanna Beacock
Hamnet Shakespeare Joe Willis
Writer Ben Elton
Director Richard Boden
Producer Gareth Edwards
Executive Producer Chris Sussman

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