Mad About the Boy

Historian Jerry Brotton presents a 10-part exploration into the life and work of the Elizabethan playwright Christopher ‘Kit’ Marlowe. Notorious for his violent death in a brawl in Deptford on the banks of the Thames, there’s perennial interest in Marlowe’s writing, his sexuality, his relationship with Shakespeare, the suspicion that he was a spy and the big “what-if” he had lived longer and produced even greater work.

Step-by-step, Jerry Brotton traces Kit Marlowe’s life and career, takes us through his key plays, including Tamburlaine, Dr Faustus and Edward II, examines why they resonate with us now and talks to those today who are still fascinated by Kit’s legacy and influence.

Having questioned Tudor hierarchy and laughed at religion, Kit Marlowe turned to another taboo that seemed close to his own passions: love between men. His classically inspired poetry had already flirted with homoeroticism, but with Edward II he offered the most explicit depiction of same-sex desire ever performed on an English stage. It also portrayed a shocking regicide. Jerry speaks to Daniel Evans and Simon Russell-Beale, who have both played notable Edward IIs, to understand Marlowe’s queer legacy.

Written and presented by Professor Jerry Brotton
Produced by Melissa FitzGerald
Christopher Marlowe read by Justice Ritchie
Other voices read by Tonderai Munyevu
Sound design by Tony Churnside

A Zinc Audio Production