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by William Shakespeare, directed by Craig Walker

Theatre Kingston, Brigantine Room, Harbourfront, Toronto

December 9-23, 2004

Those seeking more substantial fare this season could not do better than Theatre Kingston’s moving, insightful production of Shakespeare’s late romance The Winter’s Tale.  The Brigantine Room has been transformed to a small space seating only 150 facing each other across a runway stage.  In such proximity we seem to be overhearing not a tale of kings and queens but an intimate family drama.  By setting the opening and closing scenes during a 19th-century Christmas, director Craig Walker immediately reinforces the play’s themes of story-telling, faith, time, forgiveness and wonder.  The clarity of his direction and his close attention to the text make the work shine like new.

Matthew Gibson’s outstanding, Dora-worthy performance as Leontes anchors the whole production.  Shakespeare compares Leontes’ disastrous attack of jealousy to the onset of a disease.  For once this onset is shown not as instant but incremental.  Throughout three acts Gibson details Leontes’ increasing agony as he gradually loses his struggle against an idée fixe that only grows stronger the more he tries to suppress it.  For once, we can understand why Leontes’ wife Hermione can empathize with the man who condemns her to die.  Not at Soulpepper, not at Stratford, have I seen this difficult role played so convincingly.

Other strong performances include Jennifer Roblin, revealing Hermione’s inner strength beneath her outward frailty, Walker himself as Leontes’ best friend Polixenes and Ivan Sherry as an Eric Idle-like Autolycus.  This is a production created and played with great care and feeling whose warmth will brighten any winter.           

©Christopher Hoile

Note: A version of this review appeared in Eye Weekly 2004-12-16.

Photo: Cast of The Winter’s Tale. ©2004 Adair Redish.