by The male sexual jealousy approaches Shakespeare’s problem game before it is smoothed by the happy ending in the 11th hour. The production of Yaël Farber enlivens the psychological horror, King Leontes (Bertie Carvel) of his pregnant wife Hermine (Madeline Appiah) from his unfounded suspicion that she was unfaithful to his old friend Polixenes (John Light). Carvel makes a convincingly deceived barefoot king who sees himself as the vulnerable houses. His suspicion is transformed into the solid belief to unleash Hermione.
In his first three dark acts, the drama takes place as a thriller with expressionist movement and lighting. A gigantic ball of a full moon hangs over the stage (Soutra Gilmour’s design is free and is noticeable as a whole).
Farber recently organized two Shakespeare triadies in the Almeida: a Macbeth four years ago, which was full of slower and meditative fear and a refusal king Lear last year. In a way, this feels like a third tragedy that in the first, darker half with a monochrome aesthetics in the mood and monochrome aesthetics.
But storytelling has a blurring. This modern production is all smoke and shadow that are not fully restored to a certain time or a certain place. It is therefore more difficult to contextualize your topics. In particular, some scenes are vague, such as Antigonus’ persecution of a bear that is symbolically treated – a static figure takes out the mask to reveal itself as Hermione. It’s nice, but unclear.
Tim Lutkin’s lighting design becomes warm with beautiful live music in the second half (only musicians fluctuate on the set). The normally unpleasant mood change from dark to light works smoothly here: the game slides its bright finger highlight in a second half with Autolycus (Trevor Fox).
But colorers seem to be in pain to add their own mythical layers: The numbers of the time (also Fox) speak a choir from Brecht’s The Antigone of Sophocles instead of the oracle of Apollo, and this is opaque. The festival in Bohemia is inspired by the ancient Greek ritual of Eleusinian secrets. The program therefore explains that for color, Hermione and Perdita “wearing the mask from Demeter and Pershone”. An interesting idea on the page and is gnomic on stage.
There is more clarity in terms of female strength and resistance to counteract Leontes’ tyranny. Aïcha Kossoko, who plays the nobility woman Paulina plays, is a strong presence, while Appiah as a Hermione exudes painful dignity and browsing courage. When she is attested to court, she is a ridered mother with breastfeeding stains on her dress after her newborn baby has been taken. It is an evil scene.
Production never stops looking nice and is busy with a wealth of original concepts, sometimes resembles a puzzling procession. It remains an unsolved problem game, the first half – as artistic as a tragedy of explosive and irrational male anger – still not quite connected to his second.
• In the Royal Shakespeare Theater, Stratford-Upon-Avon, until August 30th
