A brave endeavour to tackle a problematic play, but somewhat neutered by deep cuts to the script. Summary
Rating
Good
William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is generally considered to be a challenging and rather problematic play in the modern age. It spans different locations, many decades and can feel like an awkward marriage of two genres. This particular production also came with a huge range of content warnings that certainly piqued my curiosity before even arriving to watch it. It was clear that some theatrical bravery lay ahead. I’m a Shakespeare fan, but not a traditionalist, and understand the desire and the requirement to tailor his work for modern audiences.
Despite its problems, The Winter’s Tale has plenty we can relate to and enjoy. It is an intense tale of jealousy and, ultimately, forgiveness. Director Mariah Gale came to this production with the clear intention of placing greater focus on its central female characters, something that works effectively, even if it did leave me feeling that Leontes (Moussa Samba) gets off way too lightly for the brutal consequences of his unfounded jealousy. This is partly due to the amount that Gale has cut from the text. Those content warnings that I mentioned are nothing to be fearful of in reality compared to the shock of realising that she has not so much come to the script with a carefully handled scalpel but more run at it with a chainsaw, not so much cut the fat as severed limbs.
Gale’s edit is in order to spotlight the emotional resilience of the women at the heart of the story, and this is especially clear in the performances of Sophie McGibbon as Hermione and Kirsty Bloom as Emilia. McGibbon’s Hermione exudes both nobility and pain, with a profound emotional arc that portrays the enduring strength of a woman unjustly accused. In contrast, Block’s Emilia offers a steadfast presence, whose loyalty and grounded sense of justice helps stabilise the chaos that unfolds around her.
The most striking performance for me, however, comes from Jessica-Jayne Mannion as Paulina. Mannion delivers a tour de force performance, capturing the fierce intensity and unwavering loyalty of her character with a remarkable sensitivity. From Paulina’s fiery defence of Hermione to her quiet, resolute moments, Mannion’s portrayal makes Paulina one of the standout characters of this production.
The edited script is more problematic for the male characters, particularly King Leontes. Samba fights bravely to deliver sufficient depth and gravitas to his role, but with the reduced timescale of the production his transformation at the end lacks plausibility. Indeed, the second half (where most of the cuts have been made) seems confusingly short, rendering some character transformations too convenient to the point of being almost comedic.
Visually, the production is both stylish and impactful. Hugo Aguirre’s set design and Ali Hunter’s lighting design work together beautifully to provide spaces that are at once stylish and elegant, but robustly functional. There is real mastery at work here.
While the cuts to the text limit the depth of some characters’ emotional journeys, the production showcases the immense talent of the Guildhall students and is testament to their ability to tackle Shakespeare with conviction. Thankfully there remains plenty here to delight, engage and entertain.
Directed by: Mariah Gale
Design by: Hugo Aguirre
Lighting design by: Ali Hunter
Sound design by: Ben Collins
Movement direction by: Leah Muller
Composed by: Olly Mathura O’Keeffe
Intimacy director: Louise Kempton
Fight director: Jonathan Waller
A Winter’s Tale plays at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama until Wednesday 26 March.
