Wolf Hall Parts 1 and 2

"For the tastiest dish in town, you need to visit the Tudors of 'Wolf Hall,' the riveting two-part theater drama...The stage version is strictly for fun. That may sound like a weak recommendation to those who wear their brows high. But being fun in period costume for nearly five-and-a-half hours of live theater is no mean achievement. This was my third visit to 'Wolf Hall' and I found myself just as much in its thrall, and even more admiring of its accomplishment." Full Review

"The bad news is that the two plays that make up “Wolf Hall” will set you back six hours. Even worse is that they feel even longer. It’s amazing that a story jampacked with lust, betrayal, greed and violence can be so...dull. As well-acted, grandly staged and beautifully lit as it is, the show still manages to be tedious...That said, director Jeremy Herrin’s production looks smashing, especially the vast, mostly empty stage, framed by giant, brutalist-style concrete walls." Full Review

"There’s nothing bookish about the highly theatrical approach taken in director Jeremy Herrin’s lucidly told, handsomely staged and emotionally charged production. In fact, it’s not bookish enough...Just when you expect the drama to move into deeper and darker political territory, it shrivels up and becomes what a lot of American kids took away from high-school history class — the salacious story of a horny king who chopped off his wives’ heads whenever he wanted a new bride." Full Review

"Part 1 begins with a dance: a court entertainment that introduces some of the major players and themes. The ensuing drama, directed by Jeremy Herrin as tautly as possible, is interspersed with jousts, hunts, investitures, pantos, and — especially in part two — executions...For all its insights, this is not the kind of play that offers much psychology...The stage production is more of a pageant, visually beautiful but a little flat...mostly what we have is an extremely elegant Tudor soap opera." Full Review

"There's a rip-roaring, malevolently Machiavellian, viciously nasty, blood-letting saga of intrigue and incest on view just now. The cornucopian epic can be found at Broadway's Winter Garden, where the Royal Shakespeare Company's impressively adventurous production of Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall' has set up shop...The RSC 'Wolf Hall' offers an evening--or, rather, two evenings--of live, inventively rousing theatricality." Full Review

"The Royal Shakespeare Company’s triumphant, blockbuster adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Tudor-history novels...as much as the fact-crammed pageantry of 'Wolf Hall' maintains admirable clarity and pacing, it often lacks the sudden burst of lyricism or philosophical depth you find in the Bard. I’d have taken more poetry over plot... Still, as a fast-paced political thriller, it is fiendishly engaging." Full Review

"These are flexible, actable, entertaining and serious plays, almost always very smart, hardly ever simply worthy. Jeremy Herrin keeps the action coming fast. The acting is lithe and purposeful...I suspect nearly all of us will be back in these seats in a few years time, eager to see – 500-year-old spoiler alert – the bloody conclusion." Full Review

"I realized that Part 1 was a shocking experience for me. But what shocked me was how dull I found it. After 30 scenes over nearly three hours, with the 23-member cast portraying some 40 characters who mostly just talk a lot, I was longing for a beheading or two...I found Part 2 only minimally more satisfying...There is no substitute for sharing the same air with a company of capable actors. But some adaptations simply work better than others." Full Review

"Poulton has packed as many incidents from the novels as possible into his adaptations, compressing the events into an accessible narrative that moves rapidly yet keeps you involved in what could easily be a confusing mélange of characters and events...Sitting through these event-filled plays over the course of a long day can be a bit of a slog. But when it’s over, you’ll remember them for their high-quality theatrics, and their ability to make history (fictionalized as it may be) both real a... Full Review

"Majestic in scope if slightly reductive in execution...While it might fall short of the pantheon of all-time great stage events, 'Wolf Hall' is nonetheless an impressive feat, a compelling drama played out across the canvas of a nation soaked in rain and mud and blood...This version might be simplified and light on psychology, it's accessible and consistently engrossing." Full Review

"I haven’t read either of the much-praised novels, nor am I a scholar of 16th-century England. I can, however, assure you that Mr. Poulton’s 51/2 -hour stage version of “Wolf Hall,” is competent but dullish, a procession of short, choppy scenes in which nobody ever says anything more memorable than “Bring up the bodies!” The acting is as devoid of sparkle as the script...“Wolf Hall” is not without merit...But stick it out to the end and you’ll likely wish you’d rented “A Man for All Seasons” ... Full Review

"Although full of intrigue and cruel twists of fate, 'Wolf Hall' is a stiff, step-by-step, plodding march through English history, leaving little space for character development. One-liners and broad jokes have been added in that inappropriately contradict the ominous tone. 'Wolf Hall' is incomplete as a narrative. Perhaps they should have waited for Mantel to finish all of her books before doing this onstage." Full Review

"The plays retrace 1500s political intrigue in Henry’s house of cards. The English history comes alive with crisp and plainspoken urgency. Jeremy Herrin directs a crackerjack cast from the Royal Shakespeare Company in a spare production... The pacing drags a bit because we’re awaiting the twist we know is coming. And the show could stand to fire more emotions. But this excellent ensemble shines." Full Review

"Well worth the six-hour investment...The swirl of characters and incidents is so intense that watching 'Wolf Hall' turns theatergoing into grandiose scorekeeping...That shift of power from Henry to Cromwell is when 'Wolf Hall' genuinely begins to fascinate, and it continues to fascinate well into 'Bring Up the Bodies'...in this age of 90-minute two-handers, who can complain about watching 23 talented actors being expertly traffic-directed?" Full Review

"The Royal Shakespeare Company's stunning, addictive and clever adaptation. After six hours of "Part One" and "Part Two," there were impatient people leaving the Winter Garden Theatre waiting for "Part Three."...Adapted by Mike Poulton, the two parts are connected by modern English, gallows humor, ghosts who chat with the living and by everyone complaining about the rain. One part alone stands by itself but this adaptation is like a bag of chips. Can you stop with just one?" Full Review

"This reworking is much less effective onstage than it was in the novel...Regardless, there is good reason to rejoice. The company assembled here is a joy to watch, and the number of riveting performances given in Wolf Hall is off the charts. The staging by Jeremy Herrin is exceptionally good...The excellent first part of Wolf Hall hurtles by; those attending a double performance should finish your meal with a strong cup of coffee before you head back to the theatre for round two." Full Review

"This prestige event of the Broadway season offers straightforward storytelling, finely wrought performances and yards upon yards of magnificent 16th century costumes... Despite the feral titles, the plays offer more steady elegance than wild passion...It is hard not to wish for something deeper from all those hours onstage." Full Review

"The story is vividly, precisely and – particularly in the first part – briskly told, with bursts of unexpected humor...Working with a large, opulently costumed cast, director Jeremy Herrin has superbly theatricalized the storytelling, blending one scene rapidly into the next. You might know where the journey's headed, but the trip is engrossing." Full Review

"'Wolf Hall' is a magnificent undertaking, as expansive as it is lean. It is history brought to pulsing, highly animated life...The play's creative team deserves high praise as we're left wanting more, even after nearly six hours covering some 1200 pages. We are only introduced to three of Henry's six wives in these plays. I cannot wait for this excellent troupe to bring up the other three!" Full Review

"Particularly fresh in this adaptation are most of the characters, seen from Cromwell”s perspective...If you are a fan, you will enjoy the chats about England’s history taking place in and around the theater. If you aren’t up on the history of this period, you might become very confused." Full Review

"Although the two shows are historically accurate and director Jeremy Herrin keeps the action moving fluidly, we leave the theater expecting more from the Royal Shakespeare Company... Unfortunately, as ambitious as 'Wolf Hall' is because it is such an epic, and despite its accessibility, it is ultimately mediocre... Some fans of the travails of the British monarchy from past to present may feel they have learned nothing new after sitting through this entertaining but curiously unsatisfying ma... Full Review

"At its best, this version carries you along like the trashiest soap...Thank goodness that 'Wolf Hall' sustains that suspenseful, brisk pace for much of its long running time. Those moments when the pace slackens are truly dangerous, as one may be lulled into an exhausted sleep...The material seems more suited to the kind of context that long-form television is much better at providing. So, recommended, but by no means essential theater-going." Full Review

"So much must be explained that the play can feel too close to a timeline, with much of its first act spent dealing with exposition...'Part Two: Bring Up the Bodies' is far more successful in portraying the political intrigue and its multifaceted characters." Full Review

"Ripping, juicy, two-part, five-and-a-half-hour adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s bestselling novels of Tudor-era intrigue... For sex, betrayal, revenge, murder, political gamesmanship, and melodramatic reversals of fortune, House of Cards has nothing on these plays...These productions winnow the books’ surfeit of characters, locales, and twisty plot lines into a propulsive, riveting afternoon and evening of theater...gripping, entertaining, and deeply satisfying." Full Review

"It’s worth every minute...The Royal Shakespeare Company’s outstanding production does justice to the revered Hilary Mantel novels while also offering its own intriguing spin on the oft-retold historical drama...'Wolf Hall' is remarkably efficient in streamlining the Mantel novels down to their most exciting essence, making the play’s pace seem much swifter than six hours. The immensely talented actors manage to make every backroom deal, courtier spat, and royal tantrum fully enjoyable." Full Review