History Film / Bill

William "Bill" Shakespeare of Stratford is kicked out of a lute-playing band and rather than getting a sensible job, decides to try his hand at writing plays, much to his wife Anne's annoyance. As stage plays just aren't viable in Stratford, Bill heads off to London, only to find it's in the grip of a plague and all the theatres have been shut as a precaution.

Bill is rescued from his temporary job of handing out leaflets in a giant tomato costume to provide the play but soon discovers he's the patsy in the scheme and, pursued by the queen's loyal but incompetent agent Sir Francis Walsingham, must clear his name, uncover the plot and save the day.

A 2015 British comedy film about Creator/WilliamShakespeare and the first big screen project by Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond -- the comedy troupe who got their start in ''Series/HorribleHistories'' and went on to create ''Series/{{Yonderland}}''. Written by Rickard and Willbond, directed by Richard Bracewell and starring the whole troupe plus Creator/HelenMcCrory and Damian Lewis.

* MrSmith: A disguised King Philip improvises the pseudonym "Jeff" (a name used in the troupe's works often enough to be a RunningGag) followed by "Smith".

A 2015 British comedy film about Creator/WilliamShakespeare and the first big screen project by Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond -- the comedy troupe who got their start in ''Series/HorribleHistories'' and went on to create ''Series/{{Yonderland}}''. Written by Rickard and Willbond, directed by Richard Bracewell and starring the whole troupe plus Helen [=McCrory=] and Damian Lewis.

* DisguisedInDrag: One of the henchmen seems to really enjoy doing this, even when the plan isn't supposed to require it.

-->Philip: "Seriously, Lope, what is wrong with you?"

* HappilyMarried: Bill and Anne, though they go through a rough path for a while.

* AccidentalMisnaming: The Earl of Croydon is frequently mistaken for being the Earl of Crawley.

A 2015 British comedy film about Creator/WilliamShakespeare and the first big screen project by Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond, the comedy troupe who got their start in ''Series/HorribleHistories'' and went on to create ''Series/{{Yonderland}}''. Written by Rickard and Willbond, directed by Richard Bracewell and starring the whole troupe plus Helen [=McCrory=] and Damian Lewis.

* YourMom: Bill invents them (which may be TruthInTelevision), Marlowe tries to join in but doesn't quite get it right.

* CannotTellAJoke: Christopher Marlowe doesn't really get comedy and spends much of the movie attempting to tell a YourMomma joke after Shakespeare introduces him to the concept. And failing.

* BlackAndGreyMorality: King Philip is the obvious bad guy, he's prepared to blow up a room full of innocent people to get his target, the Queen; threatens to set his violent, torture-happy [[TheDragon dragon]] on Bill, holds Anne hostage and outright murders [[spoiler: Christopher Marlowe]]. But his opponent is Queen Elizabeth who is engaged in Catholic persercution and has her own courtiers beheaded if she's "displeased".

* CampGay: The party planner who thinks Bill is flirting with him

* AnachronismStew: Most of the script is in modern English but slips into Shakespearean when Bill is writing. Handing out leaflets dressed in [[RuleOfFunny giant meat and vegetable costumes]] is clearly not an Elizabethan idea. The bad guys wear outfits [[RuleOfCool made of modern day black leather]] and call Philip "boss" rather than something more period-accurate for a king. Juan practices his cockney accent by referring to English dishes such as fish & chips which is a Victorian creation. And finally, there's the fact that whilst Elizabeth I is in her 60s, King Philip is a MrFanservice who seems no older than his 40s when he should be older than her.

* BlackAndGreyMorality: King Philip is the obvious bad guy, he's prepared to blow up a room full of innocent people to get his target, the Queen; threatens to set his violent, torture-happy [[TheDragon dragon]] on Bill and outright murders [[spoiler: Christopher Marlowe]]. But his opponent is Queen Elizabeth who is engaged in catholic persercution and has her own courtiers beheaded if she's "displeased".

* AdaptationalAttractiveness/HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Everyone who isn't fictional is either slightly better looking or a lot better looking than in reality, given that the whole cast are pretty easy on the eye. They made some attempt to uglify Helen [=McCrory=] as Elizabeth I, who was supposed to be in her 60s, but [[HollywoodHomely it didn't really work]].

* WantedPoster: For Bill after he's mistaken for a catholic conspirator.

* ButtMonkey: The Earl of Croyden to the other courtiers, which is why he decides to take revenge.

* KarmaHoudini: King Philip, Juan and even Lope get off scott free, despite being responsible for several deaths. When their plot is revealed, they just walk out of Elizabeth's court and go home to Spain. The Earl of Croyden is the only villain to be executed and he's the one who arguably deserves it the least.

* PaperThinDisguise: Philip disguises himself by wearing a false moustache. It fools everyone.

A 2015 British comedy film about William Shakespeare and the first big screen project by Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond, the comedy troupe who got their start in ''Series/HorribleHistories'' and went on to create ''Series/{{Yonderland}}''. Written by Rickard and Willbond, directed by Richard Bracewell and starring the whole troupe plus Helen [=McCrory=] and Damian Lewis.

* ShoutOut: As ever, there's a few [franchise: StarWars] references. Christopher Marlowe's ghost is obviously based on Obi-Wan's ghost and Croydon claims, "Poor people are easily startled, but they'll be back and in greater numbers".

* Fanservice: King Philip's shirtless scene practicing his sword work with the oranges, plus a brief shot of Larry Rickard with no trousers on.

* AnachronismStew: Most of the script is in modern English but slips into Shakespearean when Bill is writing. Handing out leaflets dressed in [[RuleOfFunny: giant meat and vegetable costumes]] is clearly not an Elizabethan idea. The bad guys wear outfits [[RuleOfCool: made of modern day black leather]] and call Philip "boss" rather than something more period-accurate for a king. Juan practices his cockney accent by referring to English dishes such as fish & chips which is a Victorian creation. And finally, there's the fact that whilst Elizabeth I is in her 60s, King Philip is a MrFanservice who seems no older than his 40s when he should be older than her.

* BlackAndGreyMorality: King Philip is the obvious bad guy, he's prepared to blow up a room full of innocent people to get his target, the Queen; threatens to set his violent, torture-happy [TheDragon: dragon] on Bill and outright murders [[spoiler: Christopher Marlowe]]. But his opponent is Queen Elizabeth who is engaged in catholic persercution and has her own courtiers beheaded if she's "displeased".

* AdaptationalAttractiveness/HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Everyone who isn't fictional is either slightly better looking or a lot better looking than in reality, given that the whole cast are pretty easy on the eye. They made some attempt to uglify Helen McCrory as Elizabeth I, who was supposed to be in her 60s, but [[HollywoodHomely it didn't really work]].