Queen Elizabeth I rules the country and Christopher Marlowe rules the theatre. From Stratford-upon-Avon, a young man called William Shakespeare arrives in London determined to match Marlowe as poet and playwright.

Shakespeare wishes for his son Hamnet to have everything, despite disapproval from the rest of his family.

Queen Elizabeth dies and King James succeeds her to the throne. What does the future hold for Will Shakespeare and for the actors who bring his plays to life?