'The Winter's Tale' is not one of the very best plays of William Shakespeare, a master playwright and one of history's most important, with one of his more improbable plots. It is still though a charmer that really casts a spell when done well, has interesting characters difficult to portray in some cases (especially the Othello-like Leontes), has Shakespeare's usual mastery of language and has emotional impact. To me, even when Shakespeare was not at his very best there was still an awful lot to admire.
As well as liking the play and loving watching live filmed play productions, my main reason for seeing Kenneth Branagh's production of 'The Winter's Tale' was Branagh himself and Judi Dench. Branagh is very experienced in Shakespeare, both as actor and director, and has proven a number of times that he is excellent at it as seen with his film versions of 'Hamlet', 'Henry V' and 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Dench has for a long time been a personal favourite, she has such authority and dignity and doesn't try to do too much. Both come off well brilliantly here and count me in as another person that loved this production of 'The Winter's Tale', among the better productions of the play seen.
One of the best aspects of the production is the acting. Branagh excels as Leontes, a complex role performed with equal complexity in a performance that has searing intensity as the jealousy grews and also poignancy. Really liked that the performance started off quiet and subtle and then became more intense and icy as Leontes became more jealous, showing a character progression, Leontes is not the kind of role to underplay and play too subdued, neither of which Branagh does and very effectively. Dench is every bit as great, Paulina ties everything together and drives and fixes the action which Dench conveys with intelligence and understated compassion, she is very movingly tender when Paulina shows Leontes his baby (a part that was very moving in the production).
It is not just them that come over so well. Miranda Raison is a suitably forceful and also affecting Hermione, her anger blazes when being accused while being controlled enough to avoid over-acting. Jessie Buckley's free-spirited-ness is immensely appealing and full of life. Everybody is believable. Even though not set in the period that the play is set in, the production looks good and looks tasteful. No over-grimness or mishmashes. Absolutely loved the wintery atmosphere, especially at the very Christmas-like beginning, which didn't come over as heavy-handed or too cold.
Shakespeare's text shines through, amusing, tense, loving and poignant in equal measure. The staging is always absorbing and done in good taste, it didn't come over as too busy or too static while also not resorting to pointless distaste. Everything is coherent too, one would never guess that the plot of the play is not the most probable of ones. Despite trying not to be too much of a traditionalist, have liked concept productions of plays and operas, but it depends on how the concept is executed, whether it and the staging touches make sense and don't offend. The pace is fine and the spirit of the play is maintained with full impact, shining in how the characters are directed with a clear understanding of Leontes in particular. Emotionally, this 'The Winter's Tale' is a real winner and is very poignant at the end.
Concluding, wonderful. 9/10
