Shardlake writer on Tudor show’s contemporary relevance: “Politicians don’t change”
"This is the 16th century, but the same things are going on today."
As fans dive into four-part Tudor mystery series Shardlake, which is available to stream on Disney Plus now, the show's writer Stephen Butchard has explained how the story relates to contemporary society.
The series, which is based on the novels by CJ Sansom, is set during the dissolution of the monasteries, and sees Thomas Cromwell tasking lawyer Matthew Shardlake with finding a murderer at monastery St Donatus.
Not only does Cromwell want justice served, but he also wants a legitimate reason found for him to close the monastery and acquire its wealth for the public purse.
Speaking at a recent Q&A for the series, Butchard explained why he felt the series was relevant today, saying: "We don't change. This is the 16th century, but the same things are going on today.
"With the dissolution of the monasteries, the money was supposedly going for the benefit of the common people, but that didn't happen, it ended up in the hands of the king and Cromwell. And that happens today. Contracts [...] end up going to friends of [politicians], and fast-tracks and stuff like that.
"We do not change, politicians don't change. But the good thing also is that there are always good people and that's what this is about. This is about good men, good women, it's about the good people just as much as it is about the villainous people."
He continued: "That's why I was attracted to it, it was about portraying a really good man in Shardlake, and the people around him are good. Even when we get to know the monks as well, you see a real different side to them. Brother Gabriel comes out with a wonderful argument about a life devoted to God, and it's a really nice moment, and you buy that moment.
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"So there is a whole load of hope within the characters, but the situations do not change, and will never change probably because we as people – it takes millions of years for us to change, actually, and that is not gonna happen over a few hundred years."
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Cromwell is played in the series by Sean Bean, who told RadioTimes.com that he was drawn to the role because of how "mischievous", " ruthless" and "creepy" he was.
Shardlake season 1 is available to stream in full on Disney Plus. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £4.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.
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