, 1h34 Directed byRichard Bracewell OriginUnited-kingdom GenresComedy, Adventure ActorsMathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, Helen McCrory Roles Christopher Marlowe / Gabriel Montoya / Cynical Jester / Palace Doorman / Mysterious Man / Even Grubbier Thief / Party Planner Rating66% Bill is set during Shakespeare's "lost years"—the crucial period, long a mystery to scholars, covering his rise from obscurity in Stratford-upon-Avon to fame as a playwright in London. According to the official synopsis, the film will tell the "real story" of what happens when "hopeless lute player Bill Shakespeare leaves his family and home to follow his dream. It’s a tale of murderous kings, spies, lost loves, and a plot to blow up Queen Elizabeth I." Writer Rickard further explained that this "very different" version of the future Bard has already tried "everything from contemporary dance to playing lute in a band. He's never found his calling.