Even The Royals Rewriting History with My Lady Jane | 32
Jun 27, 2024
Emily Bader, the actress who plays Lady Jane Grey, talks dialect work and on-set craft. Gemma Burgess, TV writer and co-creator of the Amazon series, explains adapting the YA novel for screen. They discuss reimagining Jane’s story, playful tone, enemies-to-lovers chemistry, fantasy shapeshifter elements, reworking historical figures, and the challenges of filming on location.
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Recasting Jane As A Leader Instead Of A Victim
- My Lady Jane reframes Lady Jane Grey from tragic damsel to empowered protagonist who could have led England differently.
- The show intentionally rejects historical fatalism and asks, what if Jane survived and enacted change instead of being beheaded at 17.
Using A Snarky Narrator To Reset Tone
- The series blends serious stakes with snark and silliness using a playful narrator to set tone.
- Gemma Burgess and Meredith Glynn use modern-language anachronisms and a cheeky narrator to make Tudor-era drama feel fresh and accessible.
Portraying Female Sexual Agency As Historical Truth
- The show foregrounds sex and female sexual knowledge as historical realities, not taboos.
- Gemma and Meredith highlight Tudor licentiousness and portray women sharing sexual remedies and agency as authentic worldbuilding.
