The best drama to be found on the London stage right now is a pair of connected plays about Henry VIII: Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, from Hilary Mantel’s Booker prize winning novels. And the reason I liked them so much, apart from the fact that I’m a backer, is that they tell the semi-imagined story of Thomas Cromwell, the king’s fixer.
Cromwell was a fascinating individual. He was self-made, rising from obscurity as the son of a blacksmith in Putney, eventually becoming the second most powerful man in the land. His ascent was remarkable considering society was then wholly dominated by the nobility.
He led the charge against the Catholic Church in England and was a key figure in the Reformation. Cromwell was also a classic deputy, enabling his boss to rule as royal whim saw fit.