Skip to main content

Review of The Winter's Tale performed by University Of Northampton BA Actors at Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton

While I had tremendous fun with Merry Wives two days before, I feared The Winter's Tale for one being Shakespeare and tow the fact it wasn't a comedy. This was bad enough for me, and then it turned out that it was Shakespeare doing Greek as well, which was another slight problem that had reared its head in the past. I don't do old language, I am with all this new stuff innit.

So I am afraid that I had trouble with this one, but never because it was of a poor quality. It was obvious that there was some superb, super strong acting going on. I commented in a rather ugly way during the interval that for me proper, giving it some welly acting brings the spit levels to the forefront. During Winter's Tale there was some epic spit moments, particularly during the first half where the truly big speeches came.

Giving it some real welly for me was the epic performance of Sophie-Rose Darby as the "doomed" Hermione. Her speech in court was quite staggering in every single way and one of the best moments I have seen in a University play. Also giving it some clout (hope you like all this proper language I am using) was Stephanie Waugh as Paulina, laying into the gentlemen in quite a way including the poor old downtrodden husband Antigonus (Charlie Clee). I have seen Charlie before in Masque and had absolutely loved his performance in Our Town. In this he bought a softness of character that I felt was pretty much otherwise absent from the very heavy first half, and I was sad to see his untimely demise. However what an absolutely surreal and well staged scene that was.

Although a smaller but pivotal role, I did enjoy Jack Alexander as Shepherd, and whether dealing with Perdita (Annalise Taylor) had taken its toll or not, he somehow seemed to be the only character to have aged in the sixteen years later second half other than Perdita herself, but she was a baby so that doesn't count. I am sure she wasn't too much trouble though as she was very sweetly played by Annalise.

Finally overseeing all the grief and bedlam is Jaryd Headley as Leontes. A totally solid and dominating performance as a generally unsympathetic character (putting it quite lightly), taking the emotions through all the foibles and generally horrible characteristics in an excellent way.

There were many more wonderful performances on show but I sadly had a little trouble sorting the names and people out for the others, my problem not theirs. If you haven't been mentioned, don't take offence. I shall no doubt glow over your performances in the future more manageable (for me) shows to come.

Finally we have what will henceforth be known a Beargate to deal with. Watching The Winter's Tale engineered two magic moments of emphasis as to what my Small Mind moniker is quite relevant. I first draw your attention to Exhibit A in my webpage title above where I steal the famous Shakespeare stage direction for my own nefarious needs. Well until I was informed by fellow theatre goers Mr and Mrs Mudbeast, I was unaware that it was in The Winter's Tale. Bill is see, eminently quotable, I give him that. Even if he isn't my friend. Not that I need to know where the quotes come from. Now Exhibit B is even more painful, it is never big or clever to hope that a man in the bear suit is in fact a polar bear rather than a panda bear, because you have mistaken the fact that a panda bear isn't a bear, when in actual fact you are thinking of a koala (not bear). This is embarrassing enough if it is in familiar company, but then when you bring it to the attention of the director during the interval, it is a veritable disaster. Fortunately I am big enough to realise my (many) mistakes and therefore I bow down on my confused bear knowledge. However I do blame the heat of the Underground for my lapse.

So a wonderful production with director Jamie Rocha Allan using the Underground space in a clever way. I haven't seen the main doors worked so much into a production, and actually I would have been fascinated to watch this from the outside to see all the maneuverings going on. Great stuff even if it is not quite for me but performers with much promise for the third year productions.


Performance reviewed: Saturday 6th June, 2015 at the Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton.

The Winter's Tale was one of twos shows being performed at the Royal & Derngate by the University Of Northampton BA (Hons) Actors between Thursday 4th June and Saturday 6th June, 2015

Details of both can be found here:
The Merry Wives Of Windsor
The Winter's Tale

Details of Royal & Derngate can be found by visiting their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Broken Party at The Benn Hall, Rugby

Broken Party , now on stage at The Benn Hall, is the first production by the new theatre company Nerve Theatre. Written and directed by company founder Mia Ballard, it provides an impressive collection of twists and turns that will please thriller enthusiasts. The story setup sees a gathering of the Lewis family to celebrate the birthday of Abigail. She is the daughter of Ann Lewis and the leading player, James, a high-flying lawyer who sets his stall out in the world as a supporter of the victims of society. However, as events unravel due to a television interview, is he the worthy man many believe him to be? Ballard's script is a perfect smorgasbord of murder mystery aperitifs, a dinner party, and a collection of the most dislikeable individuals, each of whom is the ideal culprit for guilt. The story is told in a single-location living room with little distraction and sees the Lewis family spar against one another following a somewhat awkward viewing of a TV show. The dialogue fr...

Review of The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at The Playhouse Theatre, Northampton

During the interval of The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband , last weeks production at The Playhouse Theatre Northampton, I got involved in a conversation between a couple sitting next to me. The lady was very much of the opinion that the play was a comedy, while the gentleman, had formed one that it was a tragedy. They were joking of course in the conversation, but it did highlight the differences that Debbie Isitt's dark comedy might have between the sexes. And also now perhaps the passing of time. When this was written in the nineties, Isitt's play was a forthright feminist play, heralding the championing over of the ladies over the man. One the ex-wife plotting to cook him, the other, the new lover, potentially already very tired of him after just three years. The husband, Kenneth (Jem Clack) elopes initially in pursuit of sex with Laura (Diane Wyman), after his nineteen years of marriage with Hilary (Corinna Leeder) has become tired and passionless. Then later, he elopes ...

Review of Kinky Boots (N.M.T.C.) at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

The musical Kinky Boots is perhaps the perfect show for the homegrown theatre group Northampton Musical Theatre Company to perform with the very core of the story bred within this very county. The tale of of Charlie Price and his encounter and unlikely partnership with a certain Lola is based on a true story of factory W. G. Brooks Ltd and the owner Steve Pateman. Back in 1999 his story of men and their wearing of shoes for women featured on a BBC documentary and this in turn inspired the 2005 film, Kinky Boots . Finally, in 2012, this musical adaptation of the story hit the stage, with a book by Harvey Fierstein and songs written by Cyndi Lauper. Longtime readers of my blog with good memories may remember that five years ago I reviewed the opening of the UK professional tour of Kinky Boots , also at the Royal & Derngate. While I enjoyed the show, I didn't give it the most favourable review. Five years on, and a second viewing, have I warmed to the charms of Charlie and Lola...