13th Jun 1978

In which Will progresses from ostler to cockerel to ghostwriter - to London's premier playwright as Kit Marlowe falls from grace.

20th Jun 1978

Will's new troupe of actors arrive in a plague-ridden London and perform Richard III to great acclaim, but a death in the family jeopardises all. A handsome rogue is not what he seems, luckily for Will.

27th Jun 1978

Plague over, life returns to normal in London and the theatres reopen. The inconstancy of a dark mistress and the jealousy of an Earl conspire to enlarge Will's understanding of human nature.

4th Jul 1978

Will's taking his son to London to introduce him to life and get to know him proves to be a mixed blessing with a tragic ending.

11th Jul 1978

In the wake of Essex's failure to tame the Irish rebels, the actors' brush with politics has catastrophic consequences.

18th Jul 1978

While Will pleads with the dying Queen for suicidal Hal's life, his poems are stolen, printed and distributed without his permission, setting in motion a chain of events that could prove disastrous.