This was, I thought, an excellent production for the BBC's Shakespeare mini-season, so much worthier a celebration than the RSC's confection which was televised on April 23rd. It was simply done, allowing the richness of poetry and drama to come through the text, which was for the most part very well spoken. The women speakers stood out for me - apart from Karl Johnson's excellent Camillo - and especially Susan Jameson's Paulina. The music by Tim van Eyken, who also played Autolycus, was finely done, particularly the songs at the shepherds' feast. The text was not much abridged and it was good to come across such words as lozel, callat, flapdragon'd, troll-my-dames, pettitoes (apparently flapdragon and troll-my-dames are both old games).
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Thank you for your comments, aeolium. There was a 45 mins crossover between the R3 broadcast and start of Kozintsev's film of Hamlet and it seemed a bit mutch to conflate Bohemia with Elsinore! Enjoyed my afternoon cuppa, today, as I reflected on various productions I've seen over many decades. The first, never equalled, was in 1951 when I hitchhiked from a radar station in Pevensey Bay to Brighton where Peter Brook's production of A Winter's Tale played a prior to London tour at the Theatre Royal. The enfant terrible of the day had dazzled theatregoers with Measure for Measure at Stratford and seduced theatregoers with the magic and fantasy of Anouilh's, Ring Round the Moon in the West End and tempted John Gielgud to play Leontes; a breathaking cast; Diana Wynyard,(Hermione), Flora Robson, (Paulina), Virginia McKenna (Perdita) and George Rose, a hilarious spiv as Autolycus. The production became one of the outstanding offerings at the Festival of Britain during its sell-out season at the Phoenix Theatre.
I still recall the delicacy of touch as Gielgud moved from insane jealously to inconsolable grief, always controlled and beautifully spoken. Diana Wynyard, coolly statuesque even before her translation. John Moffatt, a young actor, seized his moment as Second Lord, the ideal commentator on the meeting between Leontes and his long-lost daughter. An assured career as a classical actor ahead of him. Peter Brook always understood the importance of setting and costuming by rightly engaging Sophie Fedorovitch, to supply the sombre hues of the early scenes, contrasting well with the summer lightness of Bohemia. In the final scene, Hermione is revealed as a statue in delicate pink draperies - a vision not to be forgotten. Memorable, indeed. -
Thanks for reminder. I will catch up. I've had a soft spot for this play since doing it for A Level. I can still remember many of the quotes I learnt for the exam. ("I have drunk, and seen the spider"). We recently saw Branagh in the West End with Dame Judi as Paulina and I have vivid memories of a tormented Anthony Sher at Stratford a while ago. I loved the very first production I saw in London in 1966 with Jane Asher as Perdita (I was 17 and she wasn't much older) and Lawrence Harvey as Leontes. Jim Dale did a great Autolycus. Just checked it out. - someone called Tom Baker is playing the Bear.Comment
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I too love this play; I have the broadcast recorded and will give it a proper listen. I had a brief 'dip in' and was a little concerned at the verse speaking of actor playing Leontes who seemed to be breaking up the lines in staccato fashion and losing the sense somewhat. However not fair to judge on a few minutes, so I'm encouraged by your OP, aeolium. How did you find 'Leontes'?
One of my best evenings in the theatre (actually, two evenings - I went back for a second go...!) was the RSC production in 1992 with Richard McCabe as a hilarious Autolycus, I remember laughing so much it was painful! And an unforgettable coup de théâtre opening with Mamilius playing with a snow globe all alone on an otherwise dark stage, which transformed in a 'reveal' behind gauze to show the real action starting behind him, as if conjured from his imagination... As captured in the poster, which is displayed still here at home...
"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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Did you know that the Laurence Harvey production (directed by Frank Dunlop) was filmed? I've never seen it, and it's not currently available. I wonder if anyone on here HAS seen it?Originally posted by gurnemanz View PostComment
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My reaction was the same as yours, Caliban - Leontes seemed to be breaking up the lines too much, overemphasising individual words. To be fair, I thought he improved later in the play. I didn't want to cavil too much when the verse-speaking seemed generally pretty good. The bear makes quite an impact, and its assault is audible during the Shepherd's speech that follows Antigonus' hasty departure. But I always thought the play was much closer to tragedy - or tragedy with a deus ex machina - than comedy. And though the discovery of the living Hermione at the end is moving, the third-hand report of the reconciliation scene with Florizel/Perdita and the two kings (rather like the report of a chorus in a Greek classical play) is a bit disappointing. By contrast in Cymbeline the "lost children found" scene is staged.Originally posted by Caliban View PostComment
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I've now listened to this properly - I enjoyed reacquainting myself with the play, but I'm not sure this production is something I'd return to. The Leontes wasn't good enough, and there's a problem with a radio version - or this radio version - which was that all the men apart from Leontes and the old shepherd (a voice I recognised from t'telly) sounded rather interchangeable. Even knowing the play, I got lost who was saying what. The female rôles were more successful, as you say. The final 'statue' scene was very well done, with that electronic 'glow' sound used effectively to highlight the movements of the 'statue'... It was very touching - and in general I think gains from not being the last in a series of emotional reunions (hence, dramatically, the third hand reports of earlier reunions - it's quite a skilful way of letting the final coup de théâtre really tell, I think).Originally posted by aeolium View Post
I was struck yet again how the structure of this play seems symphonic, to me - three movements, Shostakovich-style: weighty, dramatic first movement (like DSCH 6), central scherzo with undercurrents of the first movement themes beneath the knockabout fairground stuff, and then a taut final movement, bringing everything together and culminating in a transcendent coda...
It works, for me, big time
"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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PS: a week into retirement from the legal profession, this line resonated strongly with me:
"let the law go whistle"
"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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I agree with you about Leontes, though his weakness didn't for me detract too much from the overall strength of the production. The problem of sufficiently distinguishable voices is a perennial one for radio drama but I didn't find it a serious issue in this production. Leontes was certainly...unmistakeable, Polixenes low and gruff (almost to the point of indistinctness in places), Camillo a superb and very individual voice, Autolycus and the rustics quite separately identifiable, and the women all very different. Other than distinctiveness, the main requirements are clarity and good articulation of the verse which I thought was pretty good throughout, Leontes excepted.Originally posted by Caliban View Post
On the denouement, I take the point about building up to the Hermione statue scene, and the risk of dramatic overload with two staged "discovery" scenes. But one way to avoid that would have been to weave in the Perdita/Florizel discovery to the statue scene (Perdita is in any case revealed to Hermione) - this would have been closer to the conclusion of Cymbeline where there are multiple revelations.
Anyway, I enjoyed the listen, and even if it was not, as you say, a classic production, it was a good effort
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