This episode suggests that Christopher "Kit" Marlowe's plays 'Tamberlane' and 'Doctor Faustus' were actually written by Shakespeare. There was, at one time, a theory proposes that Shakespeare was just a pen name used by Marlowe.
Each episode utilizes a plot device from one of Shakespeare'a plays. Here, Will'a actor friends put on a play to trick Kate into confessing her crime, just like in 'Hamlet.'
A running gag of the show is that William Shakespeare gave some of his plays to Christopher Marlowe, who in turn presented them as his own makings. According to the Marlovian theory of Shakespeare authorship, Marlowe actually wrote the plays and poems associated with Shakespeare, and, moreover, faked his own death and continued to write under Shakespeare's name.
The title is taken from 'Hamlet', Act 2 Scene 2.
Consolidated viewing figures for Upstart Crow slipped to 1.35 million for "The Play's The Thing", ranking as the ninth highest rated show on BBC2 for the period 16th May 2016 - 22nd May 2016.