Adjectives are insufficient. We laughed. We cried. We held our breath in horror. We exhaled in relief. We became slightly irritated during the cast Q&A session afterwards with a woman who apparently, had she not known the plot beforehand, wouldn't have guessed a pivotal scene was set outside. It WAS obvious. Promise.
It was the first time any of us, including Doreen, (a dear friend, nicknamed Doreen Gray on account of her beauty regime involving applying a portrait in the attic three times daily) had seen 'The Winter's Tale', and what surprised us was just how accessible it was. More to the point, relevant.
In order to understand Shakespeare we all need to overcome our fear of the language — our fear of not understanding it — because it's only in the performance that everything makes sense. Suddenly we can identify with these people and their struggles and passions. We recognise ourselves, our successes and failures, the comedy of living.
It doesn't MATTER if we don't understand every nuance, every pun, or if we can't always follow every word. I couldn't. There were some lines, particularly at the very beginning, that flew right over my head. But there is no mistaking the emotion, and it's this emotion that does the talking, that pulls us in. Suddenly the centuries between today and Shakespeare's time become a 'so what?' — trifling, merely the thinnest of curtains to be lifted to one side so we can recognise each other better.
I'm only cross that I didn't bring Most Beautiful, thinking that Shakespeare would've been beyond her. Nonsense. Shove the words out of the way, and it all becomes clear.
Thank you, The Maltings, Miles, and most of all Headlong Theatre, for an evening of sparkling escapism!
And any local folks reading this, please use The Maltings. It really has started to turn the corner. We all deserve good theatre, and
on seats will ensure it keeps coming!
Yes, that photo was gratuitous. I do hope any male readers didn't feel objectified.
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