Latest news with #Shakespeare
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The Winter's Tale: A refreshing take on one of Shakespeare's trickiest plays
Written in the twilight of Shakespeare's life, The Winter's Tale is regarded as a problem play with good reason. A complex study of the nature of dualism, power, transgression and forgiveness, it begins as a psychological drama but the tone shifts abruptly between acts three and four, and it becomes a pastoral romantic comedy. There's a jarring switch of locations, too: it starts in the austere Sicilian court of King Leontes before moving to Bohemia, the kingdom of his childhood friend Polixenes. The story is driven by Leontes's unplumbed absurd, baseless jealousy, which tears his family apart – before a Pygmalion-style miracle provides healing many years later. So the conundrum for any production is how to satisfyingly yoke together its inconsistencies of tone. Director Yaël Farber's take on it for the RSC – starring a brilliant Bertie Carvel as Leontes – is a valiant, nuanced and gripping tussle with that conundrum and, for the most part, succeeds in remaking the play afresh. A lot of that is achieved by suppressing the more farcical elements of the text but Souta Gilmour's sparse but striking set design is also key to Farber's vision. A huge and imposing moon-like orb hovers over the cast for most of the action and is the backdrop for the majority of Tim Lutkin's lighting design. It's an inspired combination of lighting and set because the orb is a visual metaphor for so many elements of the play – a potent symbol of the cyclical nature of the seasons and the passage of time, it also illustrates the violent passions driving Leontes's lunatic destruction of his family. It emphasises the blue-grey austerity of Leontes's court and contrasts that with a blood-moon hue in the wilder, more pagan Bohemia. It adds to otherworldliness created by composer's Max Perryment's ambient soundscape. Not all of Farber's directorial choices land their mark. Although Trevor Fox delivers the key character of Autolycus beautifully as a world-weary troubadour, the decision to render some of his commentary on the action in rhyming couplets falls a bit flat and doesn't ring as rich and true as Shakespeare's own language. Likewise, Madeline Appiah's Hermione, Leontes's much-abused wife, and Leah Haile's Perdita, his long-lost daughter, have an unfortunate habit of eliding their words, which makes them difficult to understand. The abridgement of Shakespeare's text for the Bohemia set scenes is also a tad severe but I can appreciate that it was necessary in order to smooth the transition of tone shift between Sicily and Bohemia. It's still a thoughtful and striking production that pays attention to details. And as for that famous stage direction 'exit, pursued by a bear' – this fresh, sparky take on it will take you by surprise. The happy ending of this play doesn't feel as pat as that of Shakespeare's other comedies. The strong cast ensures that its conclusion thrums with all that is left unsaid in the tentative reconciliation between Hermione and Leontes: a vision of love that is world-worn but still full of hope.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Winter's Tale review – Bertie Carvel is chilling as the RSC ramps up the thrills
Male sexual jealousy drives Shakespeare's problem play before it is smoothed over by its 11th-hour happy ending. Yaël Farber's production animates the psychological terror that King Leontes (Bertie Carvel) wreaks on his pregnant wife Hermione (Madeline Appiah), out of his unfounded suspicion that she has been unfaithful with his old friend, Polixenes (John Light). Carvel makes a convincingly deluded barefoot king, regarding himself as the vulnerable cuckold. His suspicion turns to solid belief to unleash punishment on Hermione. In its first three sombre acts, the drama plays out as a thriller, with expressionist movement and lighting. A gigantic orb of a full moon hangs over the stage (Soutra Gilmour's design is spare and striking as a whole), turning cool white or roiling red to reflect the action. Farber recently staged two Shakespeare tragedies at the Almeida: a Macbeth four years ago which was full of slow and meditative dread, and an arresting King Lear last year. This feels like a third tragedy in some ways, lugubrious in mood and with a monochrome aesthetic in the first, darker half. But there is a fuzziness to the storytelling. This modern-dress production is all smoke and shadows, unmoored from a specific time or place, so it is harder to contextualise its themes. More specifically, some scenes are vague, such as Antigonus's pursuit by a bear which is dealt with symbolically – a static figure takes off the mask to reveal herself as Hermione. It is beautiful but unclear. Tim Lutkin's lighting design turns warm in the second half, with lovely live music (lone musicians waver around the set). The usually awkward change of mood, from dark to light, works smoothly here: the play glides into a second half with Autolycus (Trevor Fox) its light-fingered highlight. But Farber seems at pains to add her own mythical layers: the figure of Time (also Fox) speak a choral ode from Brecht's The Antigone of Sophocles instead of the Oracle of Apollo, and this is opaque in its meaning. The feast in Bohemia is inspired by the ancient Greek ritual of the Eleusinian Mysteries, so the programme explains, adding that, for Farber, Hermione and Perdita 'wear the mask of Demeter and Persephone'. An interesting idea on the page, it is gnomic on stage. There is more clarity around female strength and resistance, to counter Leontes' tyranny. Aïcha Kossoko, playing noblewoman Paulina, is a powerful presence while Appiah, as Hermione, exudes pained dignity and courage alongside her bewilderment. When she testifies in court, she is a bereft mother with lactating patches on her dress after her newborn baby has been taken from her. It is an abject scene. The production never stops looking beautiful, and bustles with a wealth of original concepts, but sometimes resembles a puzzling procession. It remains an unsolved problem play, the first half – shaped so artfully as a tragedy of explosive and irrational male rage – still not quite wedded to its second. At the Royal Shakespeare theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until 30 August
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
How discovering deaf culture can be an enriching experience
Something very striking is how enriching hearing people find it when they start to discover deaf culture. That can be the distinctiveness of its humour, the perspectives of people who experience the world differently, or the vitality of British Sign Language (BSL). There's also immense creative talent in the deaf community, something that's all too often squandered through lack of opportunity. Too many highly skilled deaf people are still being overlooked. In the arts world, there are signs of change. Last year Shakespeare's Globe in London staged a production of Antony and Cleopatra in which the Romans spoke English and the Egyptians performed in BSL. I was cast as Cleopatra and was impressed by the commitment of the theatre and the response of the audience. The use of BSL and English-speaking actors was a positive – powerfully emphasising Roman incomprehension of another culture. We need to get away from the situation where deaf people are limited by other people's perceptions of what we can or can't do. Deaf creatives and creativity should be woven into the fabric of the arts. That's exactly what events like the Edinburgh Deaf Festival are helping to do. It provides platforms for deaf drama, comedy, drag, film, music, poetry and discussion. This caters for the deaf community and welcomes hearing audiences as well. It's about deaf people having agency; taking control of our narrative and expressing it how we want to. It's about ownership, pride, and representation from within the deaf community. The festival is also working with the [[Edinburgh]] Fringe, the International Festival, the Book Festival, [[Edinburgh]] Art Festival and specific venues like Summerhall, both to stage deaf-led events and to make their programmes more accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It's a relief to write about the things we are doing. Last year, the future of the festival was at risk. Despite the festival's development, growth and success it faced a severe funding crisis. A vigorous campaign was mounted to point out that the loss of the [[Edinburgh]] Deaf Festival would be completely at odds with the Scottish Government's commitment to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn. We now have a three-year funding deal with Creative Scotland that's allowing us to be more bold and ambitious for the future. It's something that Scotland should be proud of. Edinburgh, and the whole country, have played a vital role in the emergence of deaf culture and the establishment of deaf rights. This is exemplified by the fact that festival organisers, the Edinburgh-based Deaf Action, is the oldest deaf-led charity in the world and this year celebrates 190 years of campaigning for our community. The festival is a powerful way to improve the lives of deaf people and celebrate deaf culture, giving hearing people greater access to our world. • The festival is from August 8-17. Nadia Nadarajah is the Creative Programmer of the 2025 Edinburgh Deaf Festival Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Free Shakespeare's Central Park Home Gets an $85 Million Glow Up
After an 18-month, $85 million overhaul, the Delacorte Theater reopens next month with a starry new version of 'Twelfth Night.' I'll leave it to playgoers and critics to deliver their verdicts on the production. I'm happy to report, in the meantime, that the renovation deftly fixes much of what ailed the city's beloved home of free Shakespeare in Central Park. It was on its last legs before it was shuttered. Built during the Kennedy era for the current price of a two-bedroom condo in Fort Lee, N.J., the Delacorte from Day One was a glorified, rickety high-school grandstand, with water leaking into ramshackle dressing rooms and raccoons nesting backstage. Watching great actors and directors put on 'Hamlet' there was roughly akin to consuming truffled langoustine on the L train. The modesty was part of its charm. Like the park, it spoke to the city's egalitarian soul and cultural ambition. Its makeover is the latest change to a park that has recently undergone, or is considering, a variety of alterations, which include the opening of the excellent Davis Center in Harlem, plans to revamp Wollman Rink and a proposal by the Metropolitan Museum to replace an old wing with a new one, a stone's throw from the Delacorte. It may seem odd to think of Central Park as a work in progress. It can come across as a grand relic from another century. But this middle stretch of the park in particular, which includes the Delacorte, has undergone a surprising number of upheavals over the past 200-odd years that mirror changes across the city. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CTV News
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Stratford Festival mourns the loss of veteran actor Michael Blake
Michael Blake as Don John in the 2023 production of "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Stratford Festival. (Courtesy: Stratford Festival) Michael Blake, a Canadian actor best known for his work with the Stratford Festival, has passed away. He spent 10 seasons with the theatre company, performing in a total of 25 productions between 2011 and 2023. 'Mr. Blake was one of the most gifted actors of his generation,' a press release from the Stratford Festival said. 'He played an extraordinary variety of parts and did so with an ability and ease that was rare.' Michael Blake Stratford Festival actor Michael Blake as Othello in the 2019 production of "Othello" at the Stratford Festival. (Courtesy: Chris Young/Stratford Festival) Blake shined in both starring and supporting roles, including the titular Othello, Macduff in Macbeth, Master Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Don John in Much Ado About Nothing, Cominius in Coriolanus, Duke of Clarence in Richard III, Albany in King Lear, Errico in Napoli Milionaria!, Mr. Balance in The School for Scandal, George Deever in All My Sons, Edmund in King Lear, Dumaine in All's Well That Ends Well, Cleante in Tartuff, and Sebastian in Twelfth Night. Michael Blake Stratford Festival actor Michael Blake as Macduff in the 2016 production of 'Macbeth' at the Stratford Festival. (Courtesy: David Hou/Stratford Festival) The Stratford Festival said it was a consolation to know that his performances on stage will be preserved on film. 'Each part Michael played was powerfully realized,' Antoni Cimolino, the festival's artistic director, explained in the release. 'His work was true and realistic. His portrayals had an integrity that was compelling. It drew you into his reality. We will all remember him both for his art and his person. He was a member of our artistic family, and he will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to Michael's family and to his many friends and colleagues facing this difficult loss.' Michael Blake Stratford Festival Michael Blake as Macduff in the 2016 production of 'Macbeth' at the Stratford Festival. (Courtesy: David Hou/Stratford Festival) Blake was born in Toronto and graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada. He also played Adult Simba in The Lion King at the Princess of Wales Theatre, as well as various other theatre productions across Canada. The Stratford Festival said they will honour his legacy by dedicating a production to Blake in their upcoming 2026 season.
