STRATFORD — Ah, the duality of the Stratford Festival.
Last Wednesday, I attended the opening of Robert Lepage’s highly anticipated “Macbeth” revival, which turned out to feature some of the year’s most disappointing performances. Then, on Friday, only two days later, I watched much of that same ensemble from “Macbeth” deliver one of the best acted Shakespeare productions I have ever seen at Stratford, in director Antoni Cimolino’s “The Winter’s Tale,” the first play to open this season at the Tom Patterson Theatre.
Those two shows could not be more different. Whereas Lepage’s “Scottish play” is defined by its high-concept directorial treatment, Cimolino’s “Winter’s Tale” is marked by the absence of one, with a staging that places complete trust in the material and in the skill of its cast. The result: an exemplary production that should be a must-see for any Shakespeare lover.
“The Winter’s Tale” is a curious work, often considered to be one of the Bard’s so-called “problem plays.”
Its first half unfolds like a psychological tragedy: King Leontes of Sicily (Graham Abbey), wracked with jealousy and paranoia, falsely accuses his pregnant wife Hermione (Sara Topham) of having an affair with his best friend, Polixenes (André Sills), the King of Bohemia.
When his plot to murder Polixenes is foiled, Leontes’ wrath is soon directed at his wife. He imprisons Hermione and orders Lord Antigonus (David Collins) to leave her newborn girl to perish in the wilderness.
However, as if by an act of divine retribution, Leontes’ son, Mamillius (Philip Myers), suddenly dies. So does Hermione, stricken by grief. Only then does Leontes recognize his folly — that his wife and Polixenes were innocent, and that Hermione’s baby was his all along.
The first three acts of “The Winter’s Tale” are unforgiving. It seems only inevitable that Shakespeare shall condemn Leontes to the same tragic fate that meets so many of his other flawed protagonists. But that doesn’t happen here.
After intermission, Leontes’ court gives way to rural Bohemia. Some 16 years have passed and we learn that the King’s daughter Perdita (Marissa Orjalo) didn’t die, but was instead saved and raised by a pair of shepherds (the amusing duo of Tom McCamus and Christo Graham).
Shakespeare’s tragedy soon transforms into a pastoral comedy, then into a romance that concludes with a happy ending.
At its heart, “The Winter’s Tale” is a story about redemption, forgiveness and our ability, with time, to evolve. The play’s shifts in tone may come across as erratic, but they only serve to mirror its themes. Change can come when we least expect it. A tragic ending — for both Leontes and for this play — is not inevitable. And there’s ultimately much beauty, and hope, in that.
Cimolino’s revival handles these tonal changes seamlessly. Yet this isn’t achieved by dulling the comedy nor the tragedy. The humour in this production is hearty and plentiful, while the play’s darkest scenes are rendered with their brutality fully intact.
Rather, the success of Cimolino’s staging lies in its simplicity and impeccable pacing. Douglas Paraschuk’s nimble set mostly consists of a number of white blocks. The costumes, by Francesca Callow, are of the period, and easily distinguish between Leontes’ court and the carefree countryside of rural Bohemia. These design elements effectively serve the story, but never overshadow it.
Perhaps Cimolino’s only major directorial intervention is his addition of a prologue and epilogue, featuring Mamillius and the character of “Time” (a godlike Lucy Peacock), who typically only appears at the top of the fourth act with a speech to bridge the play’s 16-year gap.
Bookending the work with these characters, inhabiting an ethereal, heavenly realm, helps to ground the play. It reminds us that this story, with its various magical and fantastical twists, should not be interpreted literally.
As Leontes, Graham Abbey delivers the standout performance of the Stratford season thus far. His Leontes trembles in his step and stammers through his speech. His paranoia is one that stems from insecurity. In the first act, especially, Abbey convincingly charts Leontes’ unravelling: from suspicion to jealousy, to anger, to vengeance.
Meanwhile, Topham imbues her Hermione with a sense of dignity. (Her trial scene is bone-chilling.) As Paulina, Hermione’s friend and fierce advocate, the ever formidable Yanna McIntosh delivers her lines in thunderous voice, stalking across the stage. In a spineless court of advisers unwilling to stand up to Leontes, it’s she who becomes its conscience.
There are exceptional performances all around. Orjalo and Austin Eckert possess wonderful chemistry as Perdita and Florizel, Polixenes’ son. They’re not to be outdone by Collins and Tom Rooney, equally fantastic as the king’s aides, Antigonus and Camillo. And Geraint Wyn Davies brings the humour as the thief Autolycus, a shape-shifting trickster with a wry, toothy grin.
After all this comedy runs its course, however, “The Winter’s Tale” concludes on a deeply solemn note, with a final scene that’s tender and heartbreaking. Those unfamiliar with the play may not see it coming. But when it arrives, it’s an ending that feels so absolutely right. Salvation, after all, is a wonderful thing.
