Ben Elton is a clever guy and I think he has written this to show just how clever he is. There is a lot to enjoy in Upstart Crow and the best in it is David Mitchell closely followed by Mark Heap. The rest of the cast are not so good - in fact Harry Enfield is a dreadful comic actor. Liza Tarbuck is alright but I have seen her better. The funny bits are really funny - like the references to Shakespeare's use of language, but a lot of it falls flat - particularly the scenes involving the actors. The show needs editing and refining and many of the characters could easily be cut. Will's daughter Sue is a case in point - perhaps another actress could make more of it than does the young one who plays her. Overall I will probably continue to watch just to enjoy the better parts of it and tolerate the less successful parts.
Review of Upstart Crow
