The Winter's Tale - Stratford Upon Avon Tickets

Greg Hicks and Kelly Hunter return to the stage of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the Bard’s “The Winter’s Tale”, which is set to be directed by the RSC Associate Director David Farr. From July to September 2010 audiences can witness this tale of broken happiness and abandonment at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Hicks and Hunter are both regular faces for the company, with the former previously appearing in “Coriolanus”, which was also directed by Farr, in an award-winning performance. Meanwhile, Hunter was honoured with a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award for her role in “The Blue Angel” for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The actress has appeared in numerous roles for the RSC including “Talk of the City”, “Measure for Measure” and “King John”, whilst her other credits include “Evita” at the Prince Edward Theatre, “Metamorphosis” at the Lyric Hammersmith and films like “Vanity Fair”, “Les Misérables” and “Golden Age”.

“The Winter’s Tale” is a play that stands up amongst the best works of Shakespeare and since it was first performed in 1611 and then immortalised in the First Folio of 1623 it has been staged frequently all around the world. But the story has often caused fierce debate, with experts divided in regards to its label – is it a drama or a comedy? Even those that agree it’s a drama aren’t sure whether or not it is a psychological drama and debates like these help in keeping the play alive. So whatever the interpretation, “The Winter’s Tale” is a popular choice and one that will be remembered for some time.

The story focuses on the consequences of unhappiness, as a man who has everything – great power, an adoring family – finds himself ill at ease and less than content with the world around him. Leontes (Hicks) lets his displeasure be known and this leads to destructive behaviour that eventually forces away everyone from around him. His wife (Hunter) and son are lost to him and he eventually abandons his daughter in Bohemia, leaving him to spend the next 16 years without them. But when we catch up with his daughter after all this time, where she lives an idyllic lifestyle, a series of events might fall into place to reunite her with her father.

“The Winter’s Tale” is at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from Wednesday 14th July 2010 to Thursday 2nd September 2010.