Shakespeare misses his dad's funeral in lockdown storyline

Harry Enfield has been written out of Upstart Crow.

The comic played William Shakespeare’s cantankerous father, John, in the Ben Elton sitcom, but in last night’s one-off episode, the Bard – as played by David Mitchell –announced that he had died.

The script of Lockdown Christmas 1603, drew parallels with the Bubonic Plague of the era and coronavirus. After complaining about the ban on non-essential travel from London to Stratford-upon-Avon, Mitchell’s Shakesepeare said: ‘I missed my father’s funeral. I never even go the chance to say goodbye.’

‘You wouldn’t have said goodbye so much as good riddance,’ replied Kate – as played by Gemma Whelan.

‘Dad was the least-mourned man in Stratford,’ Shakespeare addd. ‘The party went on all night. I felt sorry for my mum, though. Anne [William’s wife] wrote that she had to be helped away from the grave.’

‘Was she too distraught?’

‘No, she twisted an ankle dancing on it.’

The decision to axe Enfield’s character may be moot as no fourth season has yet been announced, but in an interview Mitchell has said: ‘I think Ben said from the start that he has enough ideas for four series.’

John Shakespeare - a local businessman and  one-time mayor of Stratford – died in 1601, two year’s before last night’s episode was set. But the character could also be bought back if any future episodes didn’t run in chronological order.

Lockdown Christmas 1603 was a two-hander between Shakespeare and his landlord’s daughter, Kate, as the playwright struggled to pen Macbeth during a lockdown.

Published: 22 Dec 2020