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Elsinore: The Complete Series 1 and 2
Elsinore: The Complete Series 1 and 2
Dec 5, 2025 1:17 PM

Author:Sebastian Baczkiewicz,Full Cast,John Heffernan,John Light

Elsinore: The Complete Series 1 and 2

Hamlet. Claudius. The Beginning. The Truth.

How did Claudius become the man he is in Shakespeare's Hamlet? What were the real reasons behind the murder of his brother? How does he really feel about his nephew? These questions will be answered in this drama spiced with ghosts, pirates, magic and political skulduggery.

Set in an alternative Europe in the 1930-50s, Elsinore is a prequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet. This compelling drama imagines the turbulence of the Danish court in a world where Denmark is a powerful, militarised country with a small empire around the Baltic that it is fighting hard to maintain. There is more than a hint of totalitarianism in the air.

In this uneasy setting, Elsinore delves into the troubled, not to say murderous relationship between King Hamlet and his brother, Claudius: one of the most interesting characters in the Shakespearean canon. Realism meets with moments of otherworldliness as the story unravels, taking in pirates and magic, rebellion and betrayal.

A dark, exciting drama that touches on the events and people in Shakespeare's play and brings us to the moment where Hamlet begins.

From the extraordinary imagination of Sebastian Baczkiewicz, writer of the successful Pilgrim series.

Directed by Marc Beeby and Sasha Yevtushenko.

Cast:

Claudius - John Light

Hamlet - John Heffernan

Dauphin - Ed Gaughan

Captain True - Chetna Pandya

Polonius - Clive Hayward

Gertrude - Lyndsey Marshal

Anders/Dr Swiss/Schroeder - Neil McCaul

Olsson - Rupert Holliday-Evans

Yorick/Guard/Defence/Captain - Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong

Katya - Isabella Inchbald

Beatrix - Abbie Andrews

Archimedes/Prosecutor - David Reakes

Horatio/ Schroeder/Judge - Philip Bretherton

Laszlo/Voice/Ulrik Krabbe - Adam Fitzgerald

Uncle - Ben Crowe

Helena - Clare Corbett

Helgeland - Sudha Bhuchar

Catalina - Laura Christy

Kabanova - Jessica Turner

Lindstrom - Pip Torrens

Fortinbras/Marcellus - Will Kirk

Martin - Ikky Elyas

Lieutenant/Horatio - Greg Jones

Reviews

Slick and polished...immersive productions of much-loved novelisations...long may we enjoy them.

—— Doctor Who Magazine

Written with such humour and heart that’ll make you laugh out loud and have a little sob simultaneously.

—— STYLIST

Incisive, acerbic, but also a book that’s kind to its characters… a must-read.

—— RED magazine

‘So sweetly funny, so very touching.’

—— SAINSBURYS magazine

‘Both poignant and giggle-inducing, this is a wry look at what happens when life doesn’t quite pan out as you’d hoped’

—— FABULOUS magazine

What a gem of a novel. Separation Anxiety is wickedly funny, heartrending, poignantly wise, and hopeful. he main character, Judy, is hilariously offbeat, yet very easy to identify with, honest and thoughtful, and I loved spending time with her.

—— Diane Ackerman, author of The Zookeeper's Wife

I enjoyed Separation Anxiety very much... It has a real freshness of voice and though it is very poignant, several parts also made me laugh out loud

—— Laura Barmett, author of The Versions of Us

Sometimes a book finds its way to you and you just know instantly that this is the book you need now. That’s how I feel about Separation Anxiety. I think it’s the book everyone needs right now. It is compassionate and funny, articulating with gentle humor the terrible things that we’re all grappling with. To steal a phrase from my daughter, it made me happy-cry.

—— Laura Lippman

Separation Anxiety is as hilarious and painful as life itself...a joy to read

—— Claire Messud, bestselling author of The Burning Girl and The Emperor’s Children

The light from Laura Zigman’s new novel, “Separation Anxiety,” is generated by a kind of literary nuclear fusion: an intense compression of grief and humor.... [Zigman] has a great humorist’s eye for the comedy we’ve seen but overlooked

—— Washington Post

'A hilarious yet thought-provoking exploration of the middle-aged limbo.... With wit and tenderness, Zigman explores life's most important relationships as they develop and change over time.'

—— EMMA STRAUB

There are some very funny moments, but it’s also insightful about midlife disappointment and starting over.

—— GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

A triumph of friendship and storytelling . . . Separation Anxiety confronts the stark plateau of middle age with humor and grace. It’s a book that transforms fractured domesticity into a more honest sense of community and selfhood with great wit and enormous heart.

—— New York Observer

Separation Anxiety] imparts a life-affirming vigor... Judy is a natural comedian and Zigman has gifted her with a fiercely singular voice.

—— Boston Globe

' Like its messy, flawed heroine, Separation Anxiety is so easy to relate to, and to love.’

—— CULTURE FLY

A warm-hearted, acutely-observed and knowing revelation of what it feels like when everything starts to go south.

—— WI LIFE

Close to perfection

—— Christina Hardyment , The Times, *Audiobooks of the Year*

Lawson's writing is clear and emotive... In this poignant novel, rightfully recognised by the Booker judges, the steadfastness of children brings solace to lost grown-ups

—— Francesca Carington , Sunday Telegraph, *Novel of the Week*

There's a beauty and simplicity in her [Lawson's] stories set in small-town Canada

—— Nina Pottell , Prima

Anne Tyler is a big fan of this Canadian author and so am I

—— Good Housekeeping

A lovely, gentle novel with edge, worthy of Anne Tyler

—— Saga

Lawson's writing is such that it appears effortless but, as all the strands come together to create a rich and satisfying tapestry, her genius for storytelling becomes apparent.

—— Irish Independent

Completely absorbing... A Town Called Solace pleases at every level. It's a captivating tale suffused with wisdom and compassion

—— Brett Josef Grubisic , Toronto Star

[In A Town Called Solace] doubts, difficulties and uncertainties of the human condition are examined carefully in a way that is both heartbreaking and joyful

—— Bridie Pritchard , UK Press Syndication

Subtle and darkly funny, this tender novel unspools the interconnected lives of her beautifully drawn characters, as they grapple with grief and loss, while steadfastly hoping for a change of happiness in the face of life's uncertainties

—— Eithne Farry , UK Press Syndication

[Lawson] writes an unpretentious prose that zings with metaphorical vim and humour

—— Tablet, *Summer Reads of 2021*

Exquisitely poignant

—— Liane Moriarty , Good Housekeeping

[An] absorbing novel

—— Sunday Express, *Summer Reads of 2022*

An assured and engaging look at one of my favourite subjects: what we owe to other people. How long must we keep their secrets, and how long do we wait for those we love? Darkened by pain, A Town Called Solace is nonetheless a kindly book; Clara's lost sister flashes through it like a red-winged blackbird. Warm, clear, and beautifully grounded in the bedrock of the Canadian Shield

—— Marina Endicott, author of Good to a Fault and The Difference

'One of the best books I've read in a long time. Original, engaging and unforgettable'

—— Sunday Times bestselling author, Sarah Morgan

Beautifully written, thought provoking and uplifting, The Authenticity Project is a warm and endearing tale about truth, friendship and the power of connection. Pooley's characters will stay with you long after you turn the final page. It was a joy to read

—— Mike Gayle
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