The Winter's Tale

‘The Winter's Tale’ is one of William Shakespeare’s more intricate plays. Written in 1623, it is the absolute tragicomedy, although nowadays sadly considered a simple romance. There is no doubt that the structure of the play is unusual, with a beginning crammed with unremitting tragedy, deep emotional and mental suffering; the story continues sixteen years later, as a light comedy with the perfect resolution.

Originally adapted by David Garrick, the play seemed to disappear from the stage for a couple of hundred years, before returning to favour in Victorian times. This most imaginative staging of ‘The Winter’s Tale’ by Jenny de Reuck is the fourth in the Murdoch University's Acting and Production Two Unit second semester productions.

The two and a half hour play is presented by The Shakespeare Performing Group at the Nexus Theatre, near car park 3, Murdoch University, South Street Campus, Murdoch nightly at 7.30 until Saturday, 10^th November.

It is Sicilia about the year 1900, where achronistically the ancient Greek tale effectively meets Downton Abbey.

         On each side of the stage is a large, attractive painting representing Comedy and Tragedy. A dapper young man in top hat and tails, tap dances his way onto the stage, he is Time (Ellin Sears) the singing narrator of the show. He croons popular songs and tunes from the Music Hall era with modified lyrics (Sarah Courtis).

         The dazzlingly white floodlights come on at the rear of the stage, leaves are falling, and a bitterly cold winter has started. A young boy, Prince Mamillius (Abbey McCaughan) is out walking with his nanny (Selena Nemeth), he becomes ill and is confined to a wheelchair.

         The boy’s father, Leontes the King of Sicilia (Joel Sammels) is unsuccessfully begging his lifelong friend, Polixenes (Andrew Dawson), the King of Bohemia to stay on holiday a little longer. However, when Leontes’s trimester pregnant wife, Hermione (Amy Murray) asks Bohemia, he agrees. This change of mind makes Leontes suspicious, and he becomes convinced that his eye-catching, loyal wife has been unfaithful with Bohemia. Leontes becomes furious as his jealous fantasies take over. One of the courtiers, Camilla (Rhianna Hall) tries her best, without success, to convince the King that his Queen is virtuous. By now, the King is paranoiac and despite reasoning from his courtier, Archidamus (Daley King) and lady-in-waiting, Emilia (Tiffany Wendt), orders Camilla to poison Polixenes, but instead she tells the Bohemian King of the plot and they both flee to Bohemia.

         The enraged King then throws Hermione into prison where she gives birth to a girl, Perdita. The Queen’s courtiers Antigone (Melissa Merchant) and her outspoken sister, Paulina (Sam Knox) rescue the baby from the jailer and abandon it on the shores of Bohemia with some gold for her care. On the death of his weak son, Mamillius from a broken heart at his mother’s absence, Leontes realises that he will have no heir.

         The baby is found by an old peasant shepherd (Andrew Kocsis) and his retarded daughter (Abbey McCaughan). The shepherd had recently lost a child and considered this foundling a gift from God.

        Sixteen years later Perdita (Samantha Robins) meets a handsome stranger, Florizel (Simon Meiri) and they fall in love; however, Perdita has not realised that this man is a prince. Polixenes suspects that his only son and heir is seeing someone below his status, and so goes to the sheep-shearing fair hoping to catch Florizel with this peasant girl. The King dresses in old clothes that he has bought from Autolycus (Jordan Holloway), a local peddler and thief who distracts his prey by singing and dancing. Disguised, the King and Camilla mingle in the crowd that includes his son, Dorcus (Corina Brown) and other of his palace staff.

       Will the Kings get an heir? What has happened to beautiful Queen Hermione whose love Leontes misses?

The scenery for the palace was carefully designed in the style of Klimt (Allison Bell) and the leafy bower was most effective too. Softly in the background, throughout the play - though sometimes not softly enough, making the dialogue a little difficult to hear - was a wonderful perfectly balanced orchestral composition by Hidenori J. Nakajou that encapsulated the mood of the action. This was juxtaposed with the honky-tonk music that accompanied Ellin Sears’ delightful Champagne Charlie character. At first, I thought that Time’s character had been poorly chosen, but I really warmed to this novel idea by the end of the play.

The costumes (Heng Su Hsien) were stunning and perfectly tailored. Claire Talbot’s lighting design showed a good understanding of the play’s atmosphere. The sound (Leah Toyne, Corina Brown and Nelson Gilmour) was much better than average on both its structure and quality of recording.

Director, Jenny de Reuck and her assistant directors Andrew Kocsis and Melissa Merchant produced some stunning performances. Only one weak cast member, he is normally one of the better performers but last night he was not focused. The actors that really shone were Andrew Kocsis who proved both as the jailer and old shepherd that if you get the walk correct the personality follows. Joel Sammels captured the grief and mental torment perfectly, but had a little trouble easing up with the elation at the end – still an outstanding performance. Sam Knox gave a powerful performance as she tried to domineer the King and Amy Murray convincingly conveyed the heartbreak as her husband verbally abused her. Good cast chemistry.

A most enjoyable and novel way of presenting this play. The Murdoch University students are developing quite a reputation for the high quality of their shows – four superior plays in six weeks.