The Winter’s Tale / William Shakespeare
A psychological thriller with a happy ending
Director Ondrej Spišák set the plot of Shakespeare’s fairy-tale romance in a peculiar atmosphere of peaceful lethargy. The scenes are sometimes so idyllic and picturesque that there is hope and subtle humour to be found even in the most drastic moments. The characters of the play are moved into the present and they behave like members of modern ruling families, amusing themselves at the seaside, playing tennis and golf, laying in deck chairs… They are straightforward in their emotions, wondering and actually also a little naive and cut from the reality.
The Winter’s Tale tells us about time that passes, that has the power to heal and to make us accept what cannot be changed anymore; time that brings tolerance, calming, and also balance, understanding. The desire to stop time, slow it down or turn it back is pervasive in the play…
/Jana Machalická, Lidové noviny/