The
Winter's Tale
Playwright - William Shakespeare
Director - Dominic Hill
Designer - Gregory Smith
Company - Dundee Rep Theatre Company
Venue - Dundee Rep www.dundeerep.co.uk
01382 223530
Excellent restaurant/cafe
Date - 4 - 21 April 2001 rereviewed for summer
rep season
Reviewer - Rachel Natanson
One of the
things that I love about modern day settings for Shakespeare's plays
is that they prove how timeless the themes he writes about are. If the
audience can get past the daunting dialogue then they can be entertained
with stories of love, murder, passion or ambition.
Unfortunately, Dundee Rep's production of The Winter's Tale sees the
actors making an even bigger hurdle out of the dialogue than it should
be. Some of the crucial speaking roles in the play rush through their
lines as if they were in a race, leading to more line fluffs than I
would think necessary for a professional company. The exchanges do not
always flow. Although this is a dark play in content, the speech is
rarely allowed either to sparkle, or in the more serious parts to resonate.
Where the actors do enjoy their roles, taking the words on more as their
own, they relax into the piece and the play works. That aside, the production
is enjoyable, if you can keep up - though a little unpolished.
The set, as we
expect from a Rep production, is a finely crafted structure, quite simple
in its idea but effective nonetheless, adapting to fit all of the play's
settings. Meg Fraser stands out well as the Queen of Sicily,
and Rebecca Sleeman puts in a strong performance as Purdita.
These two actors take time over their parts and the audience benefits.
Overall I found Dundee Rep's The Winter's Tale a little lacking,
in enthusiasm, and in the actors' enjoyment of the piece - two things
that I have come to expect and relish from Dundee Rep's ensemble company,
especially recently. This production does at times make the play work
but, for me at least, not often enough during the evening.
© Rachel Natanson 4 April 2001
