Latest news with #TheWinter'sTale
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
It's one of Shakespeare's so-called ‘problem plays,' but in the hands of the Stratford company it's a must-see production
The Winter's Tale 4 stars (out of 4) By William Shakespeare, directed by Antoni Cimolino. Until Sept. 27 at the Tom Patterson Theatre, 111 Lakeside Dr., Stratford, Ont. or 1800-567-1600 STRATFORD — Ah, the duality of the Stratford Festival. Last Wednesday, I attended the opening of Robert Lepage's highly anticipated 'Macbeth' revival, which turned out to feature some of the year's most disappointing performances. Then, on Friday, only two days later, I watched much of that same ensemble from 'Macbeth' deliver one of the best acted Shakespeare productions I have ever seen at Stratford, in director Antoni Cimolino's 'The Winter's Tale,' the first play to open this season at the Tom Patterson Theatre. Those two shows could not be more different. Whereas Lepage's 'Scottish play' is defined by its high-concept directorial treatment, Cimolino's 'Winter's Tale' is marked by the absence of one, with a staging that places complete trust in the material and in the skill of its cast. The result: an exemplary production that should be a must-see for any Shakespeare lover. 'The Winter's Tale' is a curious work, often considered to be one of the Bard's so-called 'problem plays.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Its first half unfolds like a psychological tragedy: King Leontes of Sicily (Graham Abbey), wracked with jealousy and paranoia, falsely accuses his pregnant wife Hermione (Sara Topham) of having an affair with his best friend, Polixenes (André Sills), the King of Bohemia. When his plot to murder Polixenes is foiled, Leontes' wrath is soon directed at his wife. He imprisons Hermione and orders Lord Antigonus (David Collins) to leave her newborn girl to perish in the wilderness. However, as if by an act of divine retribution, Leontes' son, Mamillius (Philip Myers), suddenly dies. So does Hermione, stricken by grief. Only then does Leontes recognize his folly — that his wife and Polixenes were innocent, and that Hermione's baby was his all along. Graham Abbey as Leontes with members of the company in 'The Winter's Tale.' David Hou/Stratford Festival The first three acts of 'The Winter's Tale' are unforgiving. It seems only inevitable that Shakespeare shall condemn Leontes to the same tragic fate that meets so many of his other flawed protagonists. But that doesn't happen here. After intermission, Leontes' court gives way to rural Bohemia. Some 16 years have passed and we learn that the King's daughter Perdita (Marissa Orjalo) didn't die, but was instead saved and raised by a pair of shepherds (the amusing duo of Tom McCamus and Christo Graham). Shakespeare's tragedy soon transforms into a pastoral comedy, then into a romance that concludes with a happy ending. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW At its heart, 'The Winter's Tale' is a story about redemption, forgiveness and our ability, with time, to evolve. The play's shifts in tone may come across as erratic, but they only serve to mirror its themes. Change can come when we least expect it. A tragic ending — for both Leontes and for this play — is not inevitable. And there's ultimately much beauty, and hope, in that. Cimolino's revival handles these tonal changes seamlessly. Yet this isn't achieved by dulling the comedy nor the tragedy. The humour in this production is hearty and plentiful, while the play's darkest scenes are rendered with their brutality fully intact. Rather, the success of Cimolino's staging lies in its simplicity and impeccable pacing. Douglas Paraschuk's nimble set mostly consists of a number of white blocks. The costumes, by Francesca Callow, are of the period, and easily distinguish between Leontes' court and the carefree countryside of rural Bohemia. These design elements effectively serve the story, but never overshadow it. Members of the company in 'The Winter's Tale.' David Hou/Stratford Festival Perhaps Cimolino's only major directorial intervention is his addition of a prologue and epilogue, featuring Mamillius and the character of 'Time' (a godlike Lucy Peacock), who typically only appears at the top of the fourth act with a speech to bridge the play's 16-year gap. Bookending the work with these characters, inhabiting an ethereal, heavenly realm, helps to ground the play. It reminds us that this story, with its various magical and fantastical twists, should not be interpreted literally. As Leontes, Graham Abbey delivers the standout performance of the Stratford season thus far. His Leontes trembles in his step and stammers through his speech. His paranoia is one that stems from insecurity. In the first act, especially, Abbey convincingly charts Leontes' unravelling: from suspicion to jealousy, to anger, to vengeance. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Austin Eckert as Florizel and Marissa Orjalo as Perdita in 'The Winter's Tale.' David Hou/Stratford Festival Meanwhile, Topham imbues her Hermione with a sense of dignity. (Her trial scene is bone-chilling.) As Paulina, Hermione's friend and fierce advocate, the ever formidable Yanna McIntosh delivers her lines in thunderous voice, stalking across the stage. In a spineless court of advisers unwilling to stand up to Leontes, it's she who becomes its conscience. There are exceptional performances all around. Orjalo and Austin Eckert possess wonderful chemistry as Perdita and Florizel, Polixenes' son. They're not to be outdone by Collins and Tom Rooney, equally fantastic as the king's aides, Antigonus and Camillo. And Geraint Wyn Davies brings the humour as the thief Autolycus, a shape-shifting trickster with a wry, toothy grin. After all this comedy runs its course, however, 'The Winter's Tale' concludes on a deeply solemn note, with a final scene that's tender and heartbreaking. Those unfamiliar with the play may not see it coming. But when it arrives, it's an ending that feels so absolutely right. Salvation, after all, is a wonderful thing.
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Antoni Cimolino's well-acted Winter's Tale wrestles with oddities in Shakespeare's script
Title: The Winter's Tale Written by: William Shakespeare Performed by: Graham Abbey, Yanna McIntosh, Sara Topham, Austin Eckert, Tom McCamus, Marissa Orjalo, Tom Rooney, André Sills Director: Antoni Cimolino Company: Stratford Festival Venue: Tom Patterson Theatre City: Stratford Year: Until Sep. 27, 2025 'A sad tale's best for winter,' little Mamillius tells his mother when she asks for a story. As if spoken into existence, the events that follow are very sad indeed, with disastrous implications for Mamillius (Philip Myers on opening night of The Winter's Tale), his mother (Sara Topham) and his sister (Marissa Orjalo). When we next see the tiny prince, it's as a memory – a tiny child forever playing in a starlit afterlife. Oft-considered one of Shakespeare's 'problem plays' for its odd structure, The Winter's Tale begins with one of the Bard's more twisted psychological tests: King Leontes (a superb Graham Abbey), out of his mind with doomy rage, accuses his pregnant wife Hermione (Topham) of infidelity with King Polixenes (André Sills). When she denies the accusations, the play turns tragic: Her newborn daughter Perdita (Orjalo) is exiled to the coast of Bohemia, while the mother and her toddling son die of heartbreak. The play, so very dark in its first half, is a brooder that, for a while, rivals King Lear or Romeo and Juliet. But after intermission, the work mutates into a pastoral comedy with a decidedly light ending, and in Stratford Festival artistic director Antoni Cimolino's production, those halves never bind together in a way that makes for a satisfying story. Down the street at the Festival Theatre, Chris Abraham helms a pastoral comedy with similarly disparate acts. But in As You Like It, Abraham interrogates the relationship between the genre's form and its content in a way that feels intentional and bold; here, the fault lines in Shakespeare's dramatic structure are left to echo. Cimolino leans hard into each tonal shift – the shimmer of early childhood, the draconian gloom of Leontes's court, the Midsommar-esque merriment of Perdita's newfound clan – and often the production is enjoyable. But the momentum of the first act, led by Abbey in a tour de force performance as the tortured king, fizzles out by the time we get to know Perdita and her adoptive family. And once Perdita's surrogate father (played by Tom McCamus) steps aside for his daughter to rediscover her noble heritage, the play is all but over – an 'all's well that ends well' predicated upon, among other things, a sentient statue. Oddities in the play's dramaturgy aside, Cimolino offers a stylish, well-acted production that goes toe to toe with the heavier hitters being staged in the Avon and Festival theatres. Topham is heartbreaking as Hermione, Orjalo buoyant and jovial as Perdita. McCamus, once more this season sharing the stage with Tom Rooney, is breezy and droll as the pastoral shepherd, and Rooney is similarly amusing, clad in fabulous faux facial hair alongside Sills. Lucy Peacock, costumed in an Angels in America-style set of enormous wings, oversees the whole affair as Time, ushering the mortals in Leontes's orbit through the tribulations that accompany a long life on earth. It's perhaps Francesca Callow's costumes that shine the brightest in Cimolino's production, luminous gowns and flower crowns that suggest a happier, simpler life in the fabled land of Bohemia. A few mismatched hairpieces aside, the fashion of this production is top-notch, as airy as the springtime celebrations that open the play's second half. Other design elements, however, are less impressive. Douglas Paraschuk's sparse set sees lace doilies hung from the ceiling that raise and lower in accordance with Time's demands. There's a neat visual effect that sees the strips of fabric project interesting shadows onto the Tom Patterson Theatre stage, but the choice feels otherwise ungrounded, and strangely minimalistic against Callow's luxurious costumes. And, to address the elephant – or bear – in the room, Shakespeare's most famous stage direction is executed here somewhat disappointingly. 'Exeunt, pursued by a bear' is one of the playwright's wilder directives, and in Cimolino's production, the bear is neither an actor in a suit nor a puppet (nor even a projected beast). No: The bear, in this case, is a sound cue. In a lesser year of Stratford Festival programming, this convincingly-acted Winter's Tale would be a must-see – and indeed, die-hard Bard fans can rest assured Cimolino's production is perfectly fine. But if a dramaturgically rigorous pastoral is what you're after – or theatre tech that briefly makes you forget the constraints of live theatre – I'd suggest checking out the fest's other offerings first.
Boston Globe
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Richard and Sharon Jenkins, other familiar faces to return to Trinity Rep to direct in 2025-26 season
'Directors like Richard and Sharon Jenkins, Amanda Dehnert, and Ben Steinfeld have a long history with our company, but their work hasn't been on our stages for a while,' Columbus said in a Richard and Sharon Jenkins will be the creative minds behind 'A Christmas Carol,' when it returns for its 49th year this holiday season. Steinfeld will direct a production of 'The Winter's Tale,' by Related : The lineup, which includes several other productions 'promises to inspire, engage, and connect us all, while returning us to the roots of what makes Trinity Rep's brand of theater-making so uniquely captivating,' Executive Director Katie Liberman said in a press release announcing the forthcoming Get Globe Rhode Island Food Club A weekly newsletter about food and dining in Rhode Island, by Globe Rhode Island reporter Alexa Gagosz. Enter Email Sign Up 'Each story explores themes of connection, hope, and forgiveness, narratives that resonate deeply with the world we live in today,' Liberman said. Advertisement According to Trinity Rep, due to Related : Here is the schedule for the upcoming season: 'Cold War Choir Practice:' Written by recent Brown University graduate Ro Reddick and directed by 'Brown/Trinity Rep alumna' Aileen Wen McGroddy, 'Cold War Choir Practice' will have its world premiere when it takes the stage in Providence. 'A dark comedic thriller, the new play follows a Black family's unexpected foray into cults, espionage, the Cold War, and choir practice as they deal with family tensions,' the company says. The show runs Sept. 4 through Oct. 5. Advertisement 'A Christmas Carol:' Emmy Award-winner, Academy Award-nominee, and former Trinity Rep Artistic Director Richard Jenkins will co-direct the Charles Dickens classic this year, alongside acclaimed choreographer Sharon Jenkins. The show runs Nov. 6 through Dec. 31. 'The Roommate' and 'The Winter's Tale:' According to Trinity Rep, for the first quarter of 2026, a 'contemporary play and a classic work will run in a rotating repertory.' The first is 'The Roommate' by Jen Silverman. Directed by Columbus, the play is described as 'a one-act comedy about second acts in life.' The other is Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale,' directed by Steinfeld. The two productions run in 'Primary Trust:' Directed by resident company member Tatyana-Marie Carlo, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Eboni Booth is 'a hilarious, heartwarming story about an isolated man who finds connection outside his comfort zone,' according to Trinity Rep. The show runs from April 9 through May 10, 2026. 'Next to Normal:' With a book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, the Tony Award-winning rock musical 'explores a suburban housewife's struggle with bipolar disorder, her loved ones' journey in learning to see each other for who they truly are, and discovering what it means to be family,' according to Trinity Rep, which said Dehnert, a former associate artistic director at Trinity, will return for the first time in over 20 years to direct. The show runs from May 28 through June 28, 2026. Advertisement Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Telegraph
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Rory Kinnear: ‘I'm self-aware enough to know I would never play Bond'
Fortunately, Rory Kinnear seems amused when I read him the less than flattering description of his character Leo in the National Theatre's staging of Here We Are, Stephen Sondheim's final musical. It begins: '60s'. Kinnear is 47. 'Thank you!' laughs the son of the late actor Roy Kinnear, who shares his father's cheerful, oval face and thinning pate. 'I'm not too precious about these things. I've been playing dads for a while. I looked quite old when I was quite young. My dad played the same age, which was late 40s-early 50s, from his late 30s and I'm following in his footsteps in some ways, physically. But I think quite often bald men look the same for a long time. So I'm hoping that will be the case for me.' Leo's description continues: 'Charming billionaire. Ruthless, insatiable, a little crude.' 'Yes!' says Kinnear, before mentioning the next script note, 'some non-strenuous singing'... I'm glad to say there is some competence there!' Kinnear beams. 'Grade 5 music theory. I can count out 6/8 time as well as anybody.' Most of us are more familiar with Kinnear as a powerhouse actor than a musical triple threat (in the production he dances, too). His packed CV includes directing The Winter's Tale at the London Coliseum and appearing in the National's 2016 production of Brecht's The Threepenny Opera. Yet such feats are overshadowed by dozens of other performances, not least at the National, where he's played – among others – Hamlet, (and Olivier Award -winning) Iago and Macbeth. On television he's been Tom Bombadil in Amazon's Lord of the Rings franchise Rings of Power, the British prime minister in Netflix's The Diplomat, and the lawyer in Toxic Town, Jack Thorne's four-parter for Netflix about the 2009 toxic waste scandal in Corby. On the big screen, he's immortalised in the four latest James Bond films as MI6's wry chief of staff Bill Tanner. Backstage at the National, on a break from rehearsals, the hyper-eloquent Kinnear exudes calm affability and a fierce intelligence. A true polymath (he plays the piano and reached Grade 7 trumpet), other strings to his bow include writing a play, The Herd, performed at the Bush Theatre in London, based on his family's experiences bringing up his severely disabled older sister Katrina, who died of Covid-19 aged 48, isolated from her family in her care home. Now he campaigns for charities helping families of disabled people. 'Social care is under collapse and the burden is now so overweightedly towards loved ones – there was a story the other day about a father who collapsed and died in care of his son, the son was unable to call for help so died himself. It's the burden of love. The expectation of people's capacity is unfathomably wide, and people's love is elastic, but it has a breaking point.' He read English at Oxford, where he first became enamoured of Sondheim, after appearing in a student production of Company. Now he's thrilled to be involved in Here We Are, alongside Jane Krakowski (Ally McBeal and 30 Rock) and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family). Based on two surrealist films of Luis Buñuel, the show about six New Yorkers 'who try to go out to brunch and fail', was unfinished when Sondheim died in 2021. Its off-Broadway world premiere in 2023, directed by Joe Mantello (also in charge of the London production), was greeted with reviews that were generally more respectful than effusive, with the New York Times describing it as an 'inventive, beguiling and not quite fully solved puzzle of a show'. Kinnear says: 'Sondheim was always experimental with everything he did and there's a history that people don't necessarily get his stuff the first time it's done. Sometimes it takes a while to reveal itself. It's deeply odd, elliptical, portentous, very funny, joyous at times and, in moments, quite sombre. It's a wild ride.' Kinnear has been a regular at the National since 1985, when his father appeared in a season of plays led by Ian McKellen and Edward Petherbridge, that included Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound. He was studying drama at Lamda when he saw a 2001 production of All My Sons directed by Howard Davis with Julie Walters. 'At the time I was questioning what [acting] meant, if it had significant value for me to be able to devote my life to. Seeing that made me absolutely redouble my commitment. I thought if something can move me like this, and make me question life as it did, then I want to be a part of that.' Many others might have questioned if acting was a sustainable career. Actors have always existed precariously, with Equity figures showing that the average thespian in the UK earns just £27,000 a year. Kinnear, whose mother Carmel Cryan (Brenda Boyle in EastEnders) is also an actor, as is his partner of 19 years Pandora Colin (they have two children aged 14 and 11 and live a short walk from the National), is one of the lucky few alternating lucrative jobs for the big streamers with poorly paid theatre parts. Yet he says he was never deterred by prospects of penury. 'People often ask what I got from having parents in the industry, and that was seeing acting as a viable career. Often a big block to people acting is thinking – and potentially familial pressure – that you're throwing your life into the unknown and it's a pipe dream. Whereas I saw it as a job that can be done.' He was inspired by Kinnear Sr, one of the hardest-working character actors of his generation, known for roles such as Veruca Salt's father in the original Willy Wonka film, as well as regular appearances on panel shows such as the taboo-busting That Was The Week That Was. Roy died in 1988, aged 54, falling from a horse on a film set in Spain, when his son was 10. 'Dad's dad [a Scottish rugby international] had also died when he was eight, and after that they had to be very careful. So he lived a pragmatic life. I don't think he was ever a day out of work – if it wasn't a play, it was a TV series, a voiceover, radio, a cartoon.' Today Kinnear has arguably superseded his father's legacy. 'Fame is quite different these days than in Dad's time,' he shrugs, embarrassed. 'The multiplicity of ways in which you can watch stuff means not everyone is watching things the way everyone watched [Kinnear Sr staples] Blankety Blank or The Dick Emery Show.' Nonetheless, streaming has made Kinnear Jr's face familiar to an international audience his father could never have imagined. In the US, many recognise him for his role in the first Black Mirror episode, where he played a prime minister forced to have sex with a pig, not to mention Bank of Dave, the Netflix biopic of Burnley businessman Dave Fishwick who established his own bank to help his community. Reviews were so-so but enthusiastic word-of-mouth prompted a 2025 sequel. 'Its appeal was a counter to what people perceive as institutions turning their back on people. It was nice to be part of something that gave people a good feeling.' For now he's just wrapped a film, Learning to Breathe Underwater; an Amazon miniseries based on Peter Shaffer's Amadeus; and season three of The Diplomat. Another season of Rings of Power is almost certainly on the cards. Yet his Bond role transcends all others in the fame stakes, even if Tanner's future is now unclear since the franchise was recently sold by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson to Amazon. 'As ever with Bond, I imagine I won't know until everything is settled and they've written the script and cast a James Bond. It will be interesting to see what they do with it. I had a wonderful time working with Barbara and Michael. There'll obviously be a change in some ways, but I'm sure not too much, because it's very successful as it is.' Who is Kinnear's tip for the next Bond? 'If they're not asking me, I'm not interested,' he smiles. Was it ever his dream? He laughs self-deprecatingly. 'I've always had enough self-awareness to know I wasn't necessarily going to be Bond.' Never mind, there's plenty more to keep him occupied.
BBC News
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bristol in Pictures: Shakespeare, Lent and World Book Day
Bristol is the place to be if you like Shakespeare at the moment, with one play currently on and another beginning this city's schools embraced World Book Day with enthusiasm on Thursday, as you will be able to see in our Wednesday was celebrated at the city's cathedral, and both City and Rovers were at home on Saturday. The original tragedy: They're busy rehearsing for Romeo and Juliet, which starts its run at Bristol Old Vic from 12 March. Backed with a rap and hip hop soundtrack, this innovative production is set to be a new take on the Shakespeare play. More Bard: Meanwhile over at the Tobacco Factory in BS3 they are still putting on The Winter's Tale, the show running until 28 March. Lent begins: Staff from Bristol Cathedral offered an "ashes outside" service this week, marking people's foreheads with a cross on Ash Wednesday, the start of one of the most important periods in the Christian calendar. Sing your hearts out: Bristol City fans get behind their team during the 1-1 draw with Hull City at Ashton Gate on Saturday. A brush with the government: Pupils at Fair Furlong Primary School in Hartcliffe spent some time learning about the importance of brushing their teeth with government ministers Stephen Morgan and Stephen Kinnock 100 days and counting: Several of the animals at Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, such as Meela the dog, a former stray, are still looking for homes after spending at least 100 days at the city-centre facility. Financial boost: The Nisbet Trust, which supports charitable causes in the city, has pledged £100,000 towards restoration work at Underfall Yard, which suffered a devastating arson attack in May 2023. Vital win: Ruel Sotiriou celebrates scoring the only goal of the game as Bristol Rovers beat Huddersfield Town at the Memorial Stadium to climb away from the drop zone in League One. Many hands make light work: The planning team for Bristol's Anti Banquet have been brainstorming as they prepare for the big night at Ashton Gate on 27 March. The event aims to raise £100,000 for grassroots community food projects in the city. Worth the effort. Cyclists who can handle the seemingly never-ending climb out of Bristol to Dundry are rewarded with this view towards the countryside surrounding Chew Valley Lake. Get your boots on: The Bristol Walk Fest is drawing near, running from the start to the end of May and culminating in a mass participation event in Castle Park on 31 May. Celebrating heritage: A new photographic installation celebrating the personal stories of Bristol's Irish community has been unveiled on College Green. It will run for three weeks in the build-up to St Patrick's Day. There's Wally: Just one more from World Book Day at Sir Bernard Lovell Academy, seeing as the staff made such an effort with their costumes. Dress up day: And at E-Act Venturers' Academy in Withywood the staff also donned different outfits for World Book Day. Keeping guard: In a back street in Bedminster, passers-by get the feeling they are being watched.
