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A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewThe Winter's Tale
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"The queen of curds and cream."
— Camillo about Perdita
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Judi Dench as Paulina and Kenneth Branagh as Leontes (Photo: Johan Persson) |
Branagh's production is the inaugural one of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company at the newly restored Garrick. He plays Leontes, the King of Sicily who is consumed by jealousy at his wife Hermione's friendship with his ally and friend, Polixines (Hadley Fraser) King of Bohemia.
Branagh's rage is so graphically described by Shakespeare using some of the expressions Hamlet uses when talking about his mother and her new found husband Claudius or Othello's jealous madness as he allows Iago to influence him about Desdemona's fidelity. Branagh as Leontes is deranged and so convinced of his opinion in the light of opposition from his minister Camillo (John Shrapnel), from his wife Hermione (Miranda Raison) and the frank speaking, loyal and brave Paulina (Judi Dench), that he rejects the first message from the Oracle at Delphi which he has consulted. It is only after his son and heir Mamillius (Pierre Atri/Rudi Goodman) dies, that Leontes shows the agony of the self destruction he has orchestrated. His tortured cries touch our hearts but we cannot but reflect that he is the master of his own undoing.
With the casting of Miranda Raison as the unjustly accused Hermione, I was reminded how she took the part of Anne Boleyn in Howard Brenton's play at the Globe. Then for the first time, the parallels start to play on my mind. Anne Boleyn was divorced by her husband, an unreasonable monarch, and sentenced to death by beheading. Anne's daughter Elizabeth suffers. Pregnant Hermione is cast out and imprisoned by her husband, another unreasonable monarch. Her child is bastardised and Antigonus (Michael Pennington) is forced to swear to abandon the baby in a wild place.
Christopher Oram is the designer but his budget seems considerably lower than that he had at the Donmar Warehouse. The set for the Victorian palace is red velvet chairs with gilt wooden backs and flock wallpaper in grey. The country scenes in the second act have a stage lined with woven wattle fences but no greenery. In both settings Neil Austin's lighting provides much of the changing atmosphere and beauty. The bareness of the Bohemian set makes us think that this is still winter although the baskets of flowers that Perdita (Jessie Buckley) presents belie this. Again we are faced with Shakespeare plagiarizing himself as Perdita hands out rosemary for remembrance, as does Ophelia in Hamlet.
The dance in the countryside of Bohemia is high kicking, twirling and gypsy-like, with the men lifting the women aloft. Later a male bucolic dance is almost Cossack like. The musical instruments are played by the cast as we are reminded of simple pleasures and country courting rituals.
John Dagliesh, fresh from his role as Ray Davies in Sunny Afternoon, is a long legged, quick witted knave, Autolycus. His look is Dickensian with the long poacher's coat tall hat with pheasant feathers and plausible patter. Miranda Raison's still statue of Hermione is a design coup for Christopher Oram, pale and beautiful, low lit and in a palace which has paled into frosted white with age.
The Winter's Tale is one of Shakespeare's last plays and full of difficulty. As a comedy it has too much that is cruel and tragic. The idea that Hermione can forgive her husband's madness is equally problematic. Branagh's reading is traditional and no less worthy for not incorporating directorial vanities but it is Judi Dench who is the great draw here.
After the interval, Dench speaks the chorus to explain the passing of 16 years, a highlight for me is a scene where it is snowing and we know we are in the presence of a great actress with beautiful intonation and expression and in a lovely setting.
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| The Winter's Tale
Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Kenneth Branagh and Rob Ashford Starring: Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Miranda Raison, Jessie Buckley, Hadley Fraser, Michael Pennington, John Dagleish, John Shrapnel With: Pierre Atri, Jaygann Ayeh, Vera Chok, Jack Colgrave Hirst, Tom Bateman, Adam Garcia, Rudi Goodman, Matthew Hawksley, Taylor James, Pip Jordan, Ansu Kabia, Stuart Neal, Zoe Rainey, Michael Rouse, Kathryn Wilder, Jimmy Yuill Design: Christopher Oram Sound: Christopher Shutt Lighting: Neil Austin Choreographer: Rob Ashford Composer: Patrick Doyle Projection Design: Jon Driscoll Running time: Three hours with an interval Box Office: 020 7492 0810 Booking to 16th January 2016 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 7th November 2015 performance at the Garrick, 2 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 2HH (Rail/Tube: Charing Cross) |
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