(GayWebSource.com – Gay Media & Press Network) – Posted by Jake Simpson – TheGayUK.com

In William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale”, the themes of love, jealousy, redemption and forgiveness combine with comedy, tragedy and drama in this emotion packed production of the classic play.

By Paul Szabo | 16th October 2013

★★★

Leontes, the King of Scicilia, accuses his pregnant wife of infidelity with his childhood friend, Polixenes, the King of Bohemia. Denouncing his young son, who he now believes to be illegitimate, and throwing his wife in prison, Leontes plots to poison his friend, who makes his escape. When his wife gives birth to a beautiful daughter, the King’s heart is not softened, and he orders that she is abandoned in the wilderness. The child, named Perdita, is left on the shores of Bohemia, whereby she is found by a kindly farmer and his oafish son. Raising the child within the family of sheep shearers, Perdita is wooed and falls in love with Florizal, the Prince of Bohemia. But their relationship is not favoured by Polixenes, as he believes it is below his son to marry a commoner, so following some manipulation by Polixenes’ servant, they flee to Scicilia, not knowing that Perdita is about to come face to face with her real father who cast her aside.

Sheffield Theatre’s revival of this Shakespeare play is one which is undeniably polished. Each and every one of the actors performed incredibly well and the cast worked well together to provide excellent performances all round. In particular, the very dashing Will Alexander looked every bit the part of Florizal, the Prince of Bohemia and provided a genuine performance. Daniel Lapaine gave a powerful turn as the tortured King of Sicilia. But one of the standout performances was that of Keir Charles, who offered a scene stealing performance as Autolycus, a peddler, vagabond and pickpocket. From his jaunty, tune filled entrance through the audience to his character taking such delight in being the wide eyed opportunist; he seemed to dominate every scene he was in in an effortless manner. That said, it is very unfair to single out a few of the cast members when the entire cast were so solid and drew the audience into sharing a range of emotions with the on stage characters.

The set made excellent use of the Crucible’s unique stage. With only a minimal use of props and scenery, the stage allowed a maximum amount of movement for the actors and provided just enough for the audience’s imagination to build the palatial surroundings of Scicilia and the farming community of Bohemia. The baron, sterile and loveless environment of the palace in the first half was sharply contrasted with the warm, colourful and nurturing environment of the second half. The whole production was very beautifully staged, and the closing scenes in particular, oozed class and sophistication in its appearance.

The language used is surprisingly accessible once you had settled into the way in which the text was presented. For those who are not too familiar with Shakespeare, the story was simple enough to follow yet complex enough to have deep and rich characters. The costumes were beautiful, ranging from the regimented uniforms of the Palace of Scicilia to the colourful, flowing garments of the famers of Bohemia. The set became awash with colour and life thanks to some excellent lighting by Mark Doubleday, particularly in the second half as the mystical, almost fairy tale-esque qualities of the play come through.

The works of the Bard are not for everyone, but for those seeking out a good performance of a classic play, this production has many things to recommend it. This is Shakespeare done well.

The Winter’s Tale is currently playing at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until the 4th November 2013. For further information and tickets, visit http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/the-winters-tale-13/

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