Wednesday 30 November – Saturday 3 December 2005

The Winter's Tale

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Irina Brown

Unfounded jealousy sets the scene for this story of fatal errors, repentance and redemption. Written in 1611, towards the end of the Bard's career, The Winter's Tale was part of a series of plays, which included Pericles, Cymbeline, and The Tempest. Each story is about incredible loss and miraculous recovery. The pieces usually start out after a terrible misfortune happens, which is overcome only after an amazing adventure occurs. The adventures typically involve journeys, shipwrecks, oracles, prophesies, supernatural apparitions, and miracles. It was a genre that Shakespeare worked hard at mastering, although the productions were not, at the time, always universally well received. In the popular usage of the day 'a winter's tale' meant a fantastic tale, especially a ghost story.

Cast

SICILIA
LEONTES, King of Sicilia - SAM CURTIS
HERMIONE, his wife - ZAWE ASHTON
MAMILLIUS, his son - VALERIE ANTWI
PERDITA, his daughter - VALERIE ANTWI
CAMILLO, his Political Advisor - PAUL STEVENS
ANTIGONUS, a Senior Statesmen - ROBYN SIMS
PAULINA, his wife - SARA FISHER
CLEOMENES, a Lord - SAM GRIMWOOD
DION, a Lord - JACK HALES
1st LORD - FREDDIE MACHIN
2nd LORD - CHRIS GREEN
A YOUNG LORD - ROBYN SIMS
PRISON OFFICER - MATT DUDLEY
EMILIA, a Lady-in-Waiting - GEMMA DREVER
1st LADY to Hermione - AMIE TAYLOR
2nd LADY to Hermione - ABI ANDJEL
A COURT OFFICIAL - ZARIAH BAILEY
A MARINER - CHRIS GREEN
A NURSE - ABI ANDJEL
A SECRETARY - AMIE TAYLOR
GOSSIPS - ABI ANDJEL, GEMMA DREVER, AMIE TAYLOR

BOHEMIA
POLIXENES, King of Bohemia - ZARIAH BAILEY
FLORIZEL, his son - FREDDIE MACHIN
ARCHIDAMUS, a Senior Lord - CHRIS GREEN
AUTOLYCUS, a conman - CHRIS GREEN
OLD SHEPHERD,reputed father to Perdita - JACK HALES
CLOWN, his son - SAM GRIMWOOD
MOPSA, a shepherdess - AMIE TAYLOR
DORCAS, a shepherdess - ABI ANDJEL
A TALKATIVE SHEPHERDESS - GEMMA DREVER
TIME, as CHORUS - ROBYN SIMS