All Is True

William Shakespeare's final years are treated with a mixture of fact and supposition in this relatively modest production that sees the Bard return to Stratford-upon-Avon for good after his London theatre burns down during a performance of his Henry VIII. Sporting a somewhat disconcerting prosthetic nose and wig ensemble, Kenneth Branagh takes on the older Will and also directs from a script by Ben Elton, with Judi Dench on growling form as his long-suffering spouse Anne Hathaway - undoubtedly odd casting, since she was actually only six years his senior. In essence, it's a poignant story of how an acclaimed genius has to reconcile himself with disappointments at home, and the frustrations of class hierarchy. However, stodgy dialogue and an overall lack of dramatic punch inhibit its impact, fascinating material notwithstanding. Moreover, while Elton's writing for his small-screen Shakespeare send-up Upstart Crow uses a 21st-century perspective for adept comic effect, here the modern viewpoint rather unfairly shames England's finest for not adopting feminist values entirely out of keeping with his own era. Worth a look, but perhaps more was expected from such a stellar cast of creatives.