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Wolf Hall & Bring Up the Bodies
Thomas Cromwell. Son of a blacksmith, political genius, briber, charmer, bully. A man with a deadly expertise in manipulating people and events. Mike Poulton's two-part adaptation of Hilary Mantel's acclaimed novels 'Wolf Hall' and 'Bring Up the Bodies' is a thrilling and utterly convincing portrait of a brilliant man embroiled in the lethal, high-stakes politics of the court of Henry VIII. 'Wolf Hall' begins in England in 1527. Henry has been King for almost twenty years and is desperate for a male heir, but Cardinal Wolsey is unable to deliver the divorce he craves. Into this volatile court enters the commoner Thomas Cromwell, who sets out to achieve the King's desire, whilst methodically and ruthlessly pursuing his own reforming agenda. In 'Bring Up the Bodies', Anne Boleyn is now Queen, her path to Henry's side cleared by Cromwell. When the King begins to fall in love with Jane Seymour, Cromwell must negotiate within an increasingly perilous court to satisfy Henry, keep the nation safe, and advance his own ambitions. Hilary Mantel's novels are the most formidable literary achievements of recent times. She is the first writer to win the Man Booker Prize with consecutive novels.
Adapted by Mike Poulton, the plays were premiered by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, in December 2013, directed by Jeremy Herrin. This edition contains a substantial set of notes by Hilary Mantel on each of the principal characters, offering a unique insight into the world of the plays and an invaluable resource to any theatre companies wishing to stage them.
Adapted by Mike Poulton, the plays were premiered by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, in December 2013, directed by Jeremy Herrin. This edition contains a substantial set of notes by Hilary Mantel on each of the principal characters, offering a unique insight into the world of the plays and an invaluable resource to any theatre companies wishing to stage them.
283 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 4, 2025
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Incredible historical novel…literally
There are so many ghastly events taking place in this second and final (?) installment of Wolf Hall that I could not believe it.
And yet, decapitations, torture, treason, the murder of family members were, if not the norm, not rare anyway.
Henry VIII is so well known for his many wives, what he did in order to marry again…and again, that I was thinking:
- Was he a good king after all?
His love, extra-marital and marriage life have been so much talked about- at least around me- which his role as monarch rests in second place.
In the case of Elisabeth, which Henry tended to repudiate in this novel, her reign has been magnificent, while her love life apparently non- existent, or perhaps scarce and insignificant.
After getting rid of his first wife and queen, Henry falls in love- but only temporarily, like the character played by Jack Nicholson in Prizzi’s Honor very well says- with Anne Boleyn, who appears as a complex, fraught with anxiety personage.
It is confusing to be able to read, watch documentaries and movies that at times confirm each other, but then they also tend to depict an opposing view of the same characters that have dominated British history for centuries.
With his break from the established church, Henry VIII managed to get a new wife, but has established one of the most important moments in history and has given a different identity and path for his people.
Thomas Cromwell is however the main hero of Wolf Hall, and seeing as I saw a BBC documentary on the subject, I tend to regard him as crucial, perhaps equally important to the king he advised in the big picture of the époque and following periods.
At one point, there is an executioner who talks to Cromwell about what his image is, what he has been instructed to do
- People have told me that if I do not decapitate, you will take the sword and will do the job yourself
- They say that you are capable of anything and you are the man in charge
The novel is obviously taking inspiration from history, and we must assume that you know it and therefore there is no need to go around the infamous spoiler alert and avoid divulging for you who and how she or he gets killed.
In the documentary, they talked about the horrible death of Mary, for instance, who had a blow and had not died, then another- was it still another (?)- And after she died, her head had to be cut off with a knife, for it was still hanging.
- Jesus Christ and Oh My God!!
Then, in a final gruesome twist, the hangman had to show the crowd- entertained by such spectacles, if you believe it- the head, only in this case, the head fell off, because the hair which the executioner was holding turned out to belong to a wig.
Overall, on account of these tragic circumstances, horrifying incidents and the treachery and double talk involved, I was not thrilled by the book.
There is however a miniseries which has just been awarded the Golden Globe for best production in the category and I am thinking to watch it, unless these medieval forms of entertainment and getting a new wife prove too much to contemplate, yet again.
- Hey, bring out the bodies
- And bring in a new, cheerful novel for God’s sake!!
Incredible historical novel…literally
There are so many ghastly events taking place in this second and final (?) installment of Wolf Hall that I could not believe it.
And yet, decapitations, torture, treason, the murder of family members were, if not the norm, not rare anyway.
Henry VIII is so well known for his many wives, what he did in order to marry again…and again, that I was thinking:
- Was he a good king after all?
His love, extra-marital and marriage life have been so much talked about- at least around me- which his role as monarch rests in second place.
In the case of Elisabeth, which Henry tended to repudiate in this novel, her reign has been magnificent, while her love life apparently non- existent, or perhaps scarce and insignificant.
After getting rid of his first wife and queen, Henry falls in love- but only temporarily, like the character played by Jack Nicholson in Prizzi’s Honor very well says- with Anne Boleyn, who appears as a complex, fraught with anxiety personage.
It is confusing to be able to read, watch documentaries and movies that at times confirm each other, but then they also tend to depict an opposing view of the same characters that have dominated British history for centuries.
With his break from the established church, Henry VIII managed to get a new wife, but has established one of the most important moments in history and has given a different identity and path for his people.
Thomas Cromwell is however the main hero of Wolf Hall, and seeing as I saw a BBC documentary on the subject, I tend to regard him as crucial, perhaps equally important to the king he advised in the big picture of the époque and following periods.
At one point, there is an executioner who talks to Cromwell about what his image is, what he has been instructed to do
- People have told me that if I do not decapitate, you will take the sword and will do the job yourself
- They say that you are capable of anything and you are the man in charge
The novel is obviously taking inspiration from history, and we must assume that you know it and therefore there is no need to go around the infamous spoiler alert and avoid divulging for you who and how she or he gets killed.
In the documentary, they talked about the horrible death of Mary, for instance, who had a blow and had not died, then another- was it still another (?)- And after she died, her head had to be cut off with a knife, for it was still hanging.
- Jesus Christ and Oh My God!!
Then, in a final gruesome twist, the hangman had to show the crowd- entertained by such spectacles, if you believe it- the head, only in this case, the head fell off, because the hair which the executioner was holding turned out to belong to a wig.
Overall, on account of these tragic circumstances, horrifying incidents and the treachery and double talk involved, I was not thrilled by the book.
There is however a miniseries which has just been awarded the Golden Globe for best production in the category and I am thinking to watch it, unless these medieval forms of entertainment and getting a new wife prove too much to contemplate, yet again.
- Hey, bring out the bodies
- And bring in a new, cheerful novel for God’s sake!!
February 2, 2015
Having not read Mantel's books due to the style of writing, watching the plays and reading this book is closest to the next best thing (before the inevitable TV show). The book has an excellent introduction by Mike Poulton, the adapter for the play, and has a wonderful character summary of all the players. This adaptation is excellent and you really get into the mindset of Cromwell. Wolf Hall focuses on the divorce with Catherine of Aragon and Bring Up The Bodies on the downfall of Anne Boleyn. Bring Up The Bodies takes the traditional historical view that Anne Boleyn was the instigator of her downfall, but since we have no way of knowing for sure how each of the historical characters spoke, behaved and what motivated them this production is good as any. (For my record the best adaptation of this story is still Waris Hussein's Henry VIII And His Six Wives.) The play was amazing and kudos to Ben Miles who played Cromwell in Stratford Upon Avon RSC. To memorize and act on all those words is a remarkable achievement.
August 1, 2014
Very clear and lucid adaptation of Mantel's two big Thomas Cromwell books--presumably when the third one comes out, it too will be adapted. Adapting massive novels to the stage is not at all easy, and Poulton's introduction does a marvelous job of explaining how he went about it and why he made the decisions that he did. The scripts of the plays are mildly reminiscent of Shakespeare: there's not a great deal of staging directions, but you can easily picture the characters on stage, moving eloquently in and through the silences. I'd love to round off reading this with a visit to see the plays...
June 26, 2016
Mike Poulton had a daunting task: adapting Hilary Mantel's two tomes detailing the life of Thomas Cromwell up to the execution of Anne Boleyn. But he adapts the two books for the stage extremely well, keeping memorable dialogue from the books intact, condensing Mantel's heavy prose into well-crafted scenes that get the point across. Hilary Mantel's essays about the main characters at the beginning of the book are also invaluable to understanding these complex characters.
September 2, 2016
a phenomenal adaptation. so tightly written and packed with emotion and tension. I loved every line.
December 20, 2021
As always, the cover caught my attention. Those costumes and the colors were very striking.
I bought this book a long time ago and I forgot what it was about until I finally opened it. I wasn't expecting it to be in this format - I wonder if this is really how the scripts for stage actors look like?
The part of the character introductions was kind of confusing, especially since it was my first time getting acquainted with these figures. Nevertheless, I found myself enjoying it. It was witty and sarcastic, reminded me of gossip columns with a sprinkle of dark humor. Some characters' stories or characteristics also reminded me of characters from another more contemporary theater production. (Also, the amount of Thomases and Annes and Marys and Elizabeths! Didn't people get confused back then?) I also noticed that Anne Boleyn's introduction was longer than even the main protagonist, Thomas Cromwell. In most adaptations, she really takes the spotlight, doesn't she?
I liked that one part where they described a wagon of documents creaking and difficult to maneuver as opposed to another scene where the wagon was oiled and smoothly navigating as metaphors for the political and legal maze Thomas Cromwell had to cross. I feel like so much of the settings would have been enjoyable to see on-stage.
Lastly, can I just say I admire how patient Thomas Cromwell was? He was definitely playing the long game - weaving his resentment into opportunities to take revenge, sugarcoating them as fealty to whoever needed his services. I don't know much about him prior to reading this but the way he was portrayed here was a great read.
I bought this book a long time ago and I forgot what it was about until I finally opened it. I wasn't expecting it to be in this format - I wonder if this is really how the scripts for stage actors look like?
The part of the character introductions was kind of confusing, especially since it was my first time getting acquainted with these figures. Nevertheless, I found myself enjoying it. It was witty and sarcastic, reminded me of gossip columns with a sprinkle of dark humor. Some characters' stories or characteristics also reminded me of characters from another more contemporary theater production. (Also, the amount of Thomases and Annes and Marys and Elizabeths! Didn't people get confused back then?) I also noticed that Anne Boleyn's introduction was longer than even the main protagonist, Thomas Cromwell. In most adaptations, she really takes the spotlight, doesn't she?
I liked that one part where they described a wagon of documents creaking and difficult to maneuver as opposed to another scene where the wagon was oiled and smoothly navigating as metaphors for the political and legal maze Thomas Cromwell had to cross. I feel like so much of the settings would have been enjoyable to see on-stage.
Lastly, can I just say I admire how patient Thomas Cromwell was? He was definitely playing the long game - weaving his resentment into opportunities to take revenge, sugarcoating them as fealty to whoever needed his services. I don't know much about him prior to reading this but the way he was portrayed here was a great read.
February 8, 2026
Such a fun, yet thorough, adaptation of the first two books in the Cromwell trilogy. Felt like the perfect way to get back into the world before finishing up the series without having to reread the novels in full. Can’t wait to finally pick up the Mirror and the Light this year! I’m also interested in reading some of Poulton’s translations of Chekhov.
April 21, 2019
Excellent Adaptation
I read both of Mantel’s novels a few years ago. The plays have all the spirit of the novels at 10x the speed. I’m not sure I would have had as much fun if I hadn’t read Manuel’s original works first, but I suspect it would still be a good time.
I read both of Mantel’s novels a few years ago. The plays have all the spirit of the novels at 10x the speed. I’m not sure I would have had as much fun if I hadn’t read Manuel’s original works first, but I suspect it would still be a good time.
March 16, 2020
Hilary Mantel's character notes, which comprise 1/3 of this paperback, were wonderful--helpful not only in reading Poulton's plays, but also as background for the novels themselves. I couldn't put this down.
April 27, 2023
1st Read: ★★★
I wasn't a huge fan of the way Mantel wrote Thomas More's character, but other than that, this play was really interesting because I love Six the musical, so seeing the history behind the songs in action made for a fun reading experience.
I wasn't a huge fan of the way Mantel wrote Thomas More's character, but other than that, this play was really interesting because I love Six the musical, so seeing the history behind the songs in action made for a fun reading experience.
September 21, 2017
Good but not brilliant. An interesting adaptation of a fascinating part of history, but one that (in reading at least) lacks real emotion.
July 3, 2020
Magic Squares 2020: Set on an island country.
December 21, 2022
Really good book it is fictional telling from Thomas Cromwells account of Henry 8th.
July 27, 2023
I couldn't get into Wolf Hall, so didn't try reading this one.
April 22, 2021
It's a great novel. And it was a great TV series. It's also a great play (with its main difficulty being too many characters and too many of them called Thomas, Mary or Anne; hey-ho, that's history for you). History being messy, there isn't an obvious plot line because history doesn't work like that, with neat endings, except when Hitler goes into his bunker and blows his brains out 12 years too late for my liking. Most audiences will think Wolf Hall will end with Anne Boleyn's or Thomas Cromwell's downfall, but in fact it's about the rise of Anne and the fall of Thomas More. You'll have to wait for Bring Up The Bodies for Anne's downfall. And despite the way the plot has to mimic the tortuous machinations of history, we do get a coherent narrative.
So I can now put aside my praise (it's a 5-star review after all) to grumble about what infuriated me about the written script: punctuation.
What's Mike Poulton's problem with full stops? I've used eight in this review so far, and I'm not about to stop now. (See?) But oh no, Poulton ends almost every line with an en-dash or an ellipsis. And it's not just at the end of lines; the script is littered with them. It's like he's telling the actors how to phrase their delivery because he doesn't trust them to DO THEIR JOBS. They're actors. They know how to act. If they're not doing it right, then it's up to the director to correct them. It's not up to the playwright.
He puts in exclamation marks when he should use question marks, presumably because he doesn't trust the actors to know when their delivery needs some extra power. He adds commas when a full stop is needed and vice versa. He gets almost every bit of punctuation wrong, either because he doesn't trust the actors or he hasn't got a clue about punctuation. Thankfully the audience in a production won't notice, but anyone reading the script will find this ignorant affectation infuriating.
So I can now put aside my praise (it's a 5-star review after all) to grumble about what infuriated me about the written script: punctuation.
What's Mike Poulton's problem with full stops? I've used eight in this review so far, and I'm not about to stop now. (See?) But oh no, Poulton ends almost every line with an en-dash or an ellipsis. And it's not just at the end of lines; the script is littered with them. It's like he's telling the actors how to phrase their delivery because he doesn't trust them to DO THEIR JOBS. They're actors. They know how to act. If they're not doing it right, then it's up to the director to correct them. It's not up to the playwright.
He puts in exclamation marks when he should use question marks, presumably because he doesn't trust the actors to know when their delivery needs some extra power. He adds commas when a full stop is needed and vice versa. He gets almost every bit of punctuation wrong, either because he doesn't trust the actors or he hasn't got a clue about punctuation. Thankfully the audience in a production won't notice, but anyone reading the script will find this ignorant affectation infuriating.
April 17, 2016
An absolutely fantastic piece of adapted storytelling. Obviously, first off the bat, it can be seen how much of the books is left behind, or stylistically communicated, for the want of not dragging anything out in a theatrical setting. But, even though I haven't read the full texts, I do not feel like anything is lost, you get a very convincing and whole view of Thomas Cromwell and the world around him. The pace of the piece is almost perfect - I remember watching parts of the TV adaptation and feeling like it was indulging itself way too much (and that was told over 6 hours of TV, still not the possible 15+ hours of reading time).
The character arc of Cromwell, in particular, over the two plays is beautiful: throughout Wolf Hall I felt almost an endearment to him, but by the end of Bring Up The Bodies, I am actually terrified by him. Most of Wolf Hall and the first section of Bring Up The Bodies, trade very well with light and shade, you could easily stage the whole of Wolf Hall as a farce, Cromwell enjoys being witty, his men around him enjoy being fools. The shit hasn't truly hit the fan by then.
Even for a piece which is about history, about things which (pretty much mostly) happened, these plays understand a bit of shock and suspense a lot more than I expected.
I am actually annoyed now that I never saw these two staged, when the RSC put them on in London last year (I'd also quite enjoy being in it). But now I can truly that I really want to dive into the actual novels, if only they weren't so bleeding long.
The character arc of Cromwell, in particular, over the two plays is beautiful: throughout Wolf Hall I felt almost an endearment to him, but by the end of Bring Up The Bodies, I am actually terrified by him. Most of Wolf Hall and the first section of Bring Up The Bodies, trade very well with light and shade, you could easily stage the whole of Wolf Hall as a farce, Cromwell enjoys being witty, his men around him enjoy being fools. The shit hasn't truly hit the fan by then.
Even for a piece which is about history, about things which (pretty much mostly) happened, these plays understand a bit of shock and suspense a lot more than I expected.
I am actually annoyed now that I never saw these two staged, when the RSC put them on in London last year (I'd also quite enjoy being in it). But now I can truly that I really want to dive into the actual novels, if only they weren't so bleeding long.
August 6, 2014
When reading this, I couldn't tear myself away. The storyline, although a story we already know the ending of, was interesting and from a perspective I'd never heard of before and the character are well represented. I fear that I have missed out now by not reading the original book first.
A criticism may be that time passes quickly and obscurely. One never knows how much time has passed from scene to scene. Also, deaths felt too sudden and fleeting. It comes at too much of a shock, for me anyway.
Overall, an enjoyable play to read and I'm bitterly disappointed I missed the production when it was running in the swan theatre of the RSC.
A criticism may be that time passes quickly and obscurely. One never knows how much time has passed from scene to scene. Also, deaths felt too sudden and fleeting. It comes at too much of a shock, for me anyway.
Overall, an enjoyable play to read and I'm bitterly disappointed I missed the production when it was running in the swan theatre of the RSC.
August 6, 2016
Bit of a random choice, to pick up a screenplay version of Hilary Mantel's novels, since I've read the books, and seen part of the TV mini-series. This is a terrific adaptation of the books. It really transports me to the world of King Henry VIII, and Thomas Cromwell's part in it. I love the humour (which is in the books as well) - it really humanises the characters, particularly as this period in history is always treated a little seriously. I'd love to see this on stage.
Hilary Mantel's character notes at the start of the book are very interesting insights to the characters as well, and help explain some of the events.
Maybe my favourite book this year.
Hilary Mantel's character notes at the start of the book are very interesting insights to the characters as well, and help explain some of the events.
Maybe my favourite book this year.
January 12, 2016
AHHHHHHHHHH it was so good but also so wildly different than the books. I want SO BADLY to see both parts performed. This gets a 4 because (being... too familiar with the source text) it was kind of funky to see iconic lines changed around, or given to other characters, but overall this was an extremely strong adaptation of a very unique text and I will definitely be coming back to this in the future. :)
July 4, 2015
This is the script for the stage plays of Wolf Hall/Bring Up the Bodies. Having seen both of these plays in previews in England in 2014, it was wonderful to read the script and remember the staging. This book also has character backgrounds written by Hilary Mantel for the actors that provides the reader with the historical context. The play varies slightly from the PBS version, time being the restriction. But the story is the same and the result is wonderful.
March 23, 2015
Turning 1200 or so pages into four or five hours of stage time is no small feat. As such, these adaptations move along at a brisk clip and the machinery and plot twists are front and center, where there may be more of a slow build in the original novels (which I haven't read, but assume are marvelous.)
June 8, 2015
Having read the book Wolf Hall, I couldn't wait to read the play-now having read the play I can't wait to read Bring Up the Bodies. It's seems odd to praise the interesting characters since they are real people, but they are most definitely characters! Great tension, great transitions.
January 9, 2014
I LOVED this book. It's easy to see why Mantel is the only writer to win the Man Booker prize 2 years in a row. Read Wolf Hall then read THIS!
April 27, 2014
Great adaptations of two of my favourite recent books. I'll need to see the plays before having a proper opinion of them though.
March 19, 2015
Excellent adaptation of the two novels patterned it seems to me on the Shakespearian history plays.
April 24, 2015
Wonderful, compelling, sharp and fast paced play based on the two Hillary Mantel novels. Terrific, even if you can't see the show.
Read
June 8, 2015riveting!!!
April 7, 2019
This really ought to work better than it does.
August 12, 2016
Loved it. Wonderful, brisk take on the books. Would love to get friends together and read it.
November 7, 2016
Very good adaptation as RSC is apt to do. Really like that you can get though the whole story in two day read and that the character guide is so good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews