Two separate adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s Tudor series are featured in the New York Times online today. In the Television section, it’s the BBC series which begins on PBS Masterpiece on Sunday, April 5th. The Theater Section features the Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation which opens tomorrow in the Winter Garden theater on Broadway (note to those going to BEA, it will be running then).

The six-part TV series has already aired in the U.K. where it’s been a hit. According to the New York Times, it drew “an average of 4.4 million viewers a week, making it the most popular television drama on BBC Two since ratings began in 2002.” (Downton Abbey, which aired on ITV in the UK, has had a much larger audience, from a low of 8.29 million to a high of 12.9 million).

Mark Rylance will play the lead as Thomas Cromwell. Considered “the best actor of his generation” by many, including Al  Pacino, he is less well-known to American audiences than Damien Lewis (Homeland), who costars as Henry VIII. Soon to be a household name here, Rylance costars with Sean Penn in The Gunman opening this weekend and is set to play the lead in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming childrens movie, based on the Roald Dahl story, The BFG.

Rylance is featured in an inside look at the series on BBC News Night:

Promo for the play:

Tie-ins were published this week:

Wolf Hall: As Seen on PBS Masterpiece
Hilary Mantel
Macmillan/Picador: March 17, 2015
9781250077585, 1250077583
Trade Paperback, $16.00 USD

Bring Up the Bodies: The Conclusion to PBS Masterpiece’s Wolf Hall
Hilary Mantel
Macmillan/Picador: March 17, 2015
9781250077608, 1250077605
Trade Paperback, $16.00 USD

The script  of the play is also available. It includes, according to the publisher, “a substantial set of notes by Hilary Mantel on each of the principal characters, offering a unique insight into the plays and an invaluable resource to any reader looking for an even deeper understanding of Mantel’s historical creations.”

Wolf Hall & Bring Up the Bodies: The Stage Adaptation, 
Hilary Mantel, Mike Poulton (adapted by)
Macmillan/Picador: February 24, 2015
9781250064172, 1250064171
Trade Paperback; $16.00 USD

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