I’m going on record as an official fan of the new Will series. I was skeptical. I generally avoid overly promoted commercialized versions of beloved works, authors and studies. But, yes, the series had me at “London Calling.” Then it had me again with this seriously sexy-twisted version of Christopher Marlowe, who, I’ll admit, is my preferred writer between the two. Of course, just having returned from a visit to the rebuilt Globe, it all feels especially immediate.
If you haven’t given Will a try yet, go ahead. You will be pleasantly surprised, and if you are a Bard and Clash aficionado, you’ll be creatively jolted. More to come on this soon.
*Do yourself a favor. If you are stuffed and unyielding history and Shakespeare buff, the kind that constantly points out the historical inconsistencies of Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet, and so on, please skip this series. You’ll not likely like it and the rest of us won’t like you. However, if you are in the camp of Shakespeare and his plays as a progressive experiment in truly classic and changeable experiences, you’ll be at home.
Thank you, TNT and Craig Pearce.
About Will (Imdb)
A drama about the lost years of young William Shakespeare after his arrival to London in 1589 — when theatre was like rock and roll and a young man with a dream changed the world with his words.
Rae Cline is the author of PRECIOUS UGLY, a debut novel (coming August 18, 2026 from 7.13 Books). She is also the author of the short story collection The Indefinite State of Imaginary Morals. Her stories, essays, and prose poetry have appeared in The Paris Review, McSweeney’s, and more. She earned an M.A. in Writing from John Hopkins University and an M.F.A. in Fiction and Creative Nonfiction from American University. A teacher for thirty-five years, she taught writing and literature at the secondary level as well as at her alma maters, the International Writing Program at Iowa State University, and other campuses. She is the founding editor of Eckleburg, where she writes the Openings column, and the founder of the Warm Words Project, a homeless and domestic violence outreach initiative. Born in Ohio, she now splits her time between New York City and the Gulf of Mexico. PRECIOUS UGLY is now available for preorder. Read more at raecline.com.
