The Winter's Tale

by William Shakespeare

No time, no time but I have to say something about this extraordinary production -  Shakespeare, but not as you know it. Since Spacey took over the Old Vic he has done some very interesting things with some great casts; all too often his choice of play has been suspect. But with this 'Bridge Project' co-conspirator and director Sam Mendes has kept an assured hand on the tiller. If not a rigid one! I don't know The Winter's Tale, a very late play which feels so modern it is difficult to fully appreciate how it must have played at the time.

The first half is very tragic. Leontes, King of Sicilia played by Simon Russell Beale is afflicted with jealously and systematically destroys his wife (Rebecca Hall in top form) his son, his daughter, half his court and, of course himself. Classic Beal. He fidgets, he implores, he looks so physically inept and miserable. It is wonderful, if desperately melancholy stuff. The court of Sicilia is full of English reserve, watching the dying of the light.

Then, after a reviving glass of wine, a surreal leap - partly down to the bard and partly to Hollywood.  Now we are 16 years later in Bohemia, a brave new world full of Americans, and featuring Ethan Hawke sitting on stage with a guitar singing dylan-esque songs before a full-on hillbilly shindig takes place. Ethan's extraordinary Rogue Autolycus is a comic masterpiece, and the rustic bawdy dance, complete with erotically bursting balloons was a delight. Eventually the happy Bohemians are reunited with the miserable Sicilians and with Rebecca Hall's statue coming back to life it all ends in a sort of satisfactory way.

Also of note are Sinead Cussak's feisty and unbowed noble woman Paulina and Richard Easton's shepherd, who looks after the abandoned baby, but in truth the cast are all startlingly good. The surreality of the production is appropriate to the script. Apparently Ben Jonson was incensed at Shakespeare giving Bohemia a coast for years afterwards. A wonderful set for the Sicilian palace, the all candles set of the tragic first half superbly contrasts with the joyous second half party. Excellent music too - not all hillbilly. Hard to criticise unless you like your Shakespeare traditional and static.

I am not sure it is the best play I've seen this year, but it is certainly incredibly entertaining, bold, imaginative and thought provoking. It really was very good.

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