Ben Miles as Thomas Cromwell in The Mirror and the Light
(Picture: Marc Brenner)The Mirror and the Light star Ben Miles said it took “a leap of faith” to open the show as part of the “rebirth” of the West End after lockdown.
The actor, who co-wrote the play with Hilary Mantel from her original best-selling novel, returns to the stage to play Henry VIII’s advisor Thomas Cromwell in the final part of the historical trilogy.
He said: “It’s fabulous to be part of the rebirth of theatre and the west end and culture in general in this country after 18 months of cultural decline and lockdown.
“It’s such a wonderful feeling to be in a theatre again.”
Miles, who first played the part of Cromwell on stage in Stratford-Upon-Avon eight years ago, said the “the timing felt right” to bring the final part of the trilogy to the stage now.
He said: “I think like everything there comes a point and you just have to make a leap of faith.
“You have to all decide you’re going to go for it and deal with whatever the consequences are.”
The story follows Cromwell’s fall from grace as the king turns against him and his enemies accuse him of treason.
Two of the three original novels won the Booker Prize.
The previous plays have been sell-out successes in the West End and on Broadway.
Mr Miles said he understood the fascination with the Tudor era and the rise and fall of Cromwell from power.
He said: “It’s a fascinating era in our history that really forged our identity. A time of great change in our national sense of who we are.
“It’s not dissimilar to the times we are in now, the whole push for global Britain and the reworking of society and all that kind in stuff.
“Tudor England was going through a similar type of identity crisis I think.”
