Winter's Tale Tickets

This new Anglo-US venture brings Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale to the Old Vic in 2009. The production is a presented by the group The Bridge Project which will bring to the stage an ensemble cast under the direction of Sam Mendes, the theatre and Academy Award winning film director responsible for the likes of American Beauty. Brooklyn’s Academy of Music, Neal Street Production and the Old Vic will help to bring the show to theatreland.

A Winter’s Tale is a Shakespearean play that chronicles the transition of tragedy to comedy, winter to spring and revenge to romance. Shakespeare was inspired by the 1590 novel Pandosto by Robert Greene. It involves King Leontes and his Queen, with her giving unfriendly attention to the visiting King of Bohemia. Even though she is found not guilty of such attention, the Queen is still banished. Due to this their son Macmillius dies of grief and their daughter, the newborn Pedita is raised by a Bohemian Shepherd. After a time lapse of sixteen years we eventually learn of the consequences of all of these events. Shakespeare changes some of the plot points from Green’s Pandosto but the overall plot remains intact. Originally, he labelled it as a comedy, but critics have since argued that it is a romance. One thing is for sure, it is hard to label this play and you may have a different opinion yourself when you see A Winter’s Tale.

Rebecca Hall will play the Queen to Leontes. She has previously starred in Mrs Warren’s Profession, which was her debut performance and won her the Charleson Award in 2003. In 2006 she starred in the movie Starter For Ten, the adaptation of the David Nicholls original; she played Rebecca Epstein alongside James McAvoy. She also starred in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the Woody Allen film that also starred Scarlett Johansson. She is the daughter of Sir Peter Hall.

Director Sam Mendes has had many years of success during his life. He wasn’t even twenty five when he directed Judi Dench in The Cherry Orchard. He’s also directed plays for the RSC including The Tempest and Richard III. He also directed The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice (which was adapted into the movie Little Voice with Jane Horricks) as well as Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party. He is perhaps best known for directing the movies American Beauty, Jarhead, Road To Perdition and the upcoming Revolutionary Road.

A Winter’s Tale is at the Old Vic from Saturday 23rd May 2009 to Saturday 15th August 2009.