Jamie Campbell Bower as Young Earl of Oxford

Rhys Ifans as Edward de Vere

David Thewlis as William Cecil

Joely Richardson as Princess Elizabeth Tudor

Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Elizabeth I

Sebastian Armesto as Ben Jonson

Rafe Spall as William Shakespeare

Edward Hogg as Robert Cecil

Xavier Samuel as Earl of Southampton

Sam Reid as Earl of Essex

Paolo De Vita as Francesco

Trystan Gravelle as Christopher Marlowe

Robert Emms as Thomas Dekker

Tony Way as Thomas Nashe

Julian Bleach as Captain Richard Pole

Derek Jacobi as Prologue

Alex Hassell as Spencer

James Garnon as John Heminge

Mark Rylance as Condell

Jasper Britton as Pope

Ned Dennehy as Interrogator

John Keogh as Philip Henslowe

Lloyd Hutchinson as Richard Burbage

Vicky Krieps as Bessie Vavasour

Helen Baxendale as Anne De Vere

Paula Schramm as Bridget De Vere

Amy Kwolek as Young Anne De Vere

Luke Thomas Taylor as Boy Earl of Oxford

Isaiah Michalski as Boy Robert Cecil

Timo Huber as Boy Earl of Southampton

Richard Durden as Archbishop

Shaun Lawton as Footman

Detlef Bothe as John De Vere

James Clyde as King James I

Christian Sengewald as Cecil's Spy Servant

Jean-Loup Fourure as Monsieur Beaulieu

Viktoria Gabrysch as Buxom Lady

Axel Sichrovsky as Essex General

Katrin Pollitt as Lady-in-Waiting

Patricia Grove as Lady-in-Waiting

Laura Lo Zito as Selling Maid

Gode Benedix as Groundling

Nic Romm as Usher

Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Bear Baiter

Patrick Diemling as Oxford's Servant

Patrick Heyn as Oxford's Doctor

Nino Sandow as Stage Manager (New York)

Craig Salisbury as Dwarf / Puck

Rainer Guldener as Quince

Trystan Pütter as Bottom

André Kaczmarczyk as Titania

Jonas Hämmerle as Child Oberon

Mike Maas as Pole's Commander

Christian Leonard as Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Christian Banzhaf as Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Victoria Calero as Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Martin Engler as Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Alfred Hartung as Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Oliver Kube as Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Christian Ludwig as Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Oliver Rickenbacher as Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Claudius von Stolzmann as Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Tjadke Biallowons as Dancer

Dafne-Maria Fielder as Dancer

Alexander Flache as Dancer

Antonia Gerke as Dancer

Sophie Hichert as Dancer

Vera Kreyer as Dancer

Stefanie Lanius as Dancer

Urban Luig as Dancer

Jasmin Mehling as Dancer

Elisabeth Milarch as Dancer

Robert Munzinger as Dancer

Benjamin Plath as Dancer

Erik Studte as Dancer

Johann Hakob Wurster as Dancer

Steffi Sattler as First Lady to King James I (uncredited)