The Winter's Tale

Synopsis

'Pray you, sit by us, and tell's a tale. Merry or sad shall't be? As merry as you will. A sad tale's best for winter.' A tale of passion, jealousy, fantasy and fairytale, the play charts the transition from winter to spring, tragedy to comedy, and revenge to romance. It is the story of high adventure where an angry King falsely accuses and discards his family to his later regret

Our Review:

25 May 2001

Opening during the warmest week of the year to date, this seems a strange play to put on, but of course, Mamillius never gets to tell his winter's tale, and the story of jealousy and reconciliation warms hearts at any time.

Nicholas Hytner, in a welcome return to the National, has set this play in a modern city state, with all the trappings of the 1980s. Alex Jennings' Leontes is a thrusting, young businessman running his fiefdom in his country casuals, lounging about on his designer furniture. The modernity causes a few problems. Would these characters really consult the Delphic oracle to determine Hermione's guilt? This Leontes would probably have brought in a management consultant and surely he would have had some sort of grief counselling to cope with perceived infidelity.

Jennings is insanely jealous almost from the start and plays the early scenes with an incandescent intensity of rage. He is a megalomaniac in charge, storming through the palace with a permanent...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com - 20 June 2001:

Excellent!and definitely controversial! Nicholas Hytner's visionary interpretation of Act IV as a modern day Glastonbury has made Shakespeare relevant not only yesterday and today, but tomorrow as well! Great mixed age audience, and if you go see it, you'll know why. Wonderful performances from an eclectic cast. Superb interpretation of a versatile play. Shame the old fogey who hurled his programme on stage and stormed out in disgust didn't appreciate that young blood is needed to keep theatre alive in the future. Superb! Go see it....

Read more and add your own review