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

Latest User Review

David Baxter - 13 August 2009:

After a rather pedestrian Cherry Orchard Sam Mendes presents a brilliant Winter's Tale which fully justifies the Bridge Project. Mendes neatly solves the transatlantic problem by giving all the Bohemians American accents, including Morven Christie as a radiant Perdita. It's a difficult play to stage as a lot of plot development is told as exposition and the tone of the fourth act is such a complete contrast to what has gone before. In truth Mendes comes close to spoiling things, particularly with a vulgar balloon dance and Ethan Hawke's irritating Dylanesque Autolycus. Fortunately the darker, intense scenes in Sicilia are sensational, beautifully lit by Paul Pryant and featuring some of the best verse speaking I have heard. Josh Hamilton is the pick of the Americans as Polixines, Sinead Cusack is superb as a dignified and courageous Paulina and Rebecca Hall is a wonderful Hermione; flirtatious but clearly devoted to Leontes, horrified and fianlly defiant at her undeserved fate. It's tempting to take Simon Russell Beale's greatness for granted but here he is astonishing, conveying his changing emotions through subtle changes of expression and gestures, especially in a wonderful moment when he recognises Perdita as his daughter. He manages to imbue the tyrannical Leontes, consumed by irrational jealousy, with sufficient humanity to make you yearn for Shakespeare's otherwise contrived happy ending. This Winter's Tale can take its place alongside some memorable Shakespearean productions in 2009....

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