THE WINTER’S TALE (UK Actors Support Network)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r8Ll0Dz0B0&feature=emb_logo

Available until: Unknown

This Zoom reading of The Winter’s Tale was put together by actor John Craggs, founder of the UK Actors’ Support Network. This organisation was formed in 2018 to give support to actors, as well as providing news and information.

Zoom Shakespeare has been around for at least eight months, but a lot of the people in the chat seemed new to it. The good news for them is that if they want more Zoom Shakespeare, they’ll find a lot of it on youtube, with brilliant productions from companies including The Show Must Go Online, Shakespeare Happy Hours, Sofa Shakespeare and Shake-Scene Shakespeare.

The good news for those of us who already know about Zoom Shakespeare is that here is another one for us to enjoy – and with some very well-known actors. Sadly, Rupert Graves, originally announced as playing Leontes, was forced to withdraw, but a more than adequate replacement was found in David Horovitch.

This is a reading rather than a performance, but it really is beautifully-read. There are a few technical issues, but that can happen even in the rehearsed plays and they’re resolved quickly and they don’t ruin the play. If you do notice any issues, they are probably part of the recording and there’s no need to adjust your device.

David Horovitch has the perfect voice for Shakespeare. He makes it sound beautiful and he brings out the poetry wonderfully. Leontes is often played as a very vulnerable character, completely overpowered by his own emotions, but David shows us another valid reading of the character: an angry, verbally violent and rather frightening Leontes. It’s a compelling performance and anyone who’s watching who doesn’t know the play will be very worried about exactly what this fascinating but terrifying man is capable of.

The role of Hermione is taken by Michelle Collins and here too there are some very brave choices. Hermiones are usually really lovely and so clearly devoted to Leontes, his suspicions seem completely ridiculous. This Hermione is rather more demanding; perhaps even whiny at times. It’s very interesting because while we might not feel quite the same urge to protect her from Leontes’ unreasonable anger, this Hermione is as innocent as any other and equally underserving of his treatment of her.

(Or… is she innocent? I really don’t want to be accused of racism, but the fact is that Leontes and Hermione are both white, but their daughter, Perdita, is BAME. Polixenes is also BAME. It is not biologically impossible for two white parents to have a BAME child if one of them has a BAME ancestor, but it’s very unusual. It’s true that Leontes became suspicious before the child was born, but it is also true that Perdita looks more like Polixenes’ child than his. So I’m really not sure if this is a simple case of ‘colourblind’ casting based on acting ability entirely or if whoever cast this production does want to leave Perdita’s parentage open to doubt. After all, how do we know the Oracle is telling the truth?)

The role of Paulina is important to any production of The Winter’s Tale and Anna Carteret (who uses her married name, Morahan, on Zoom) is magnificent in the role. She is calm, majestic and can convey so much in the tiniest understated moment. (On second thoughts, if Anna Carteret says Hermione didn’t cheat, that’s good enough for me.)

Nicholas Le Provost and Tahir Ashraf are excellent as Camillo and Polixenes. The scene between them in Act 1 is very powerful and one of the scenes that sticks particularly in my mind. Sebastian Storey is older than most Mamilliuses, but he is adorably childlike and does the comedy beautifully. Richard O’Callaghan is a wonderfully eccentric Antigonus and Jonathan Kydd is a lot of fun as Autolycus. David Johnson and Lauren-Deanna Stubbs are very sweet as Florizel and Perdita and have a lovely onscreen rapport.

When you’ve seen the same Shakespeare play six times in eight months (and I also saw the ballet), you do tend to wonder if the seventh time will teach you anything new. But it does. This Winter’s Tale has great actors, very poetic readings of the text, interpretations that are new to me and different moments that stood out or resonated in new ways. I’m looking forward to #8!