A Winter’s tale - analysis of a production - bringing in AO3 with theater presentations
Production 1 - Shakespeare’s royal theatre company:
Director - Gregory Doron
Lead - Anthony Sher
Herminone - Alexandra Breath
Notes:
Act 1
● Wanted to make the set his mind (Leontes) - has whispers all around
● Presented as kings as the start - to remind audience before chaos starts
● Show of kings when they take their clothes of shedding clothes to convey raw feelings
● Mirror same effect and Leontes and proxemics to convey similarity - different but become small very quickly
● Colour symbolism of silver and deep blue
● Use of touching of palms to convey really small - shows how paranoid Leontes is - every interaction between L and H is over
done and very formal with orchestra music (regal)
● Had H and P in the background through L’s speech of her in pain from pregnancy and and P helping herf
● His voice he seemed heightened and confused (this silent raging)
● ‘To hot too hot’ illuminates Leontes fully then shadows hermione and Polixenes to show them being at the back of their mind
● Signing is actually contractions (braxton hicks) shows how confused he is, Leontes noticed and didn’t do anything about it -
husband should be there but isn’t
● Childish music in the background through Max and Leontes interaction
● Max sat down and goes in and out of constant sleep - almost naive to it and drugged and only talks when spoken to, as a
reassurance to Lenotes or under influenced (not normally in a wheelchair - present him as invalid foreshadows that Sicilia is
heading down a dark path as heir is everything to a kingdom) - passive to Leontes ideas, doesn’t show much emotion accept
● Leontes won’t go near Hermione (ignores her) and doesn’t let her near his son (physical in front of heavily pregnant wife)
● Only holds were when talking to Poexenies
● Leontes is forcing them together in the stage directions - prove his version of reality
● Looks as ramblings on a confused man
● Tearing the words out (hard to watch) they are breaking him apart - physical disgust of the birth and sexual act (talking to
audience cause I’m okay) - ‘go play boy’ almost an insult so withdrawn from his words that he doesn’t understand the actions
of his words - could have hurt his son and not realised (withdrawn from reality)
● Smelling the scarf - almost like an undone lead to Hermoine
● Leontes erupts on stage - lack of movement on stage from Camilo (doesn’t try and stop him, like watching a car crash) only
stops him when he gets violent
● Tell the spider to hermione - looks happy and loved however it slowly gets darker and darker - goes to close to her
● Closeness between leontes and hermione close together and looked each other - either very close or very far representation
of what i should do and what he's chosen
● Gets down on one knee before leaving
● Leontes conveys physical violence - pushing her to the floor eeg taken to the floor by her husband but still hold composure
which diffuses it
Act 2
● Tries to look at her but does not want to
● Uses the labour a lot - maybe ruins the moment
● She tries her hand with him but she doesn't pick it up she hauls herself up angered - plus goes to pick her up conveys
battling of the mind eg reflection of protaestant and catholic
● Stands in line and don’t move stand in unity - all taller than him - makes him feel infrared to them
● When tell them of is plans with the oracle then he is praised and demeanor changes
● He roots through her bag trying to find evidence - throw the white cloth - her tained virginity
● Pauline dressed head to toe in fur - leather especially in those time , russian winter / hermione is the princess of russia - cold
of winter
● Pauline is not worried - strong and driven and commands the stage - while moving a lot compare to the guard (man) who is
subordinate
● Prison is lowlights and dark - with silhouette of crossbar on the floor
● The light comes on when the baby is delivered and given to Paulina
● No eye contact with pauline
● Leontes large pillars and blue backlight make him appear small looks like his mind / hears shouts and yells appears and
recreates his messed up psyche - eg laughing and women shouting
● Court dressed in silver ish
● When paulina anger heightens she bring it back down
● Letones hides in corner constantly moves and backs down
● Leontes looks like he hasn’t slept - broken wide eyes small in a robe
● He wants to hold the child and pick it up however he physically can’t hold him back - mental torutre - holds if and appears
like a father for a minute before the toture takes over
● Leontes acts like a child mocks paulina
● Blinks to much - paulina however commands the stage
● Pauline doesn’t move a lot on stage always commands the stage and towards center looks powerful
● Baby wrapped in Hermoine’s shawl
● Leontes - robe with under purple waistcoat with shirt and black tie
● Pathetic fallacy in scene change of thunder
Act 3
● Oracle is covered in a gold shawl - two men well dressed soldiers and only their duty
Production 1 - Shakespeare’s royal theatre company:
Director - Gregory Doron
Lead - Anthony Sher
Herminone - Alexandra Breath
Notes:
Act 1
● Wanted to make the set his mind (Leontes) - has whispers all around
● Presented as kings as the start - to remind audience before chaos starts
● Show of kings when they take their clothes of shedding clothes to convey raw feelings
● Mirror same effect and Leontes and proxemics to convey similarity - different but become small very quickly
● Colour symbolism of silver and deep blue
● Use of touching of palms to convey really small - shows how paranoid Leontes is - every interaction between L and H is over
done and very formal with orchestra music (regal)
● Had H and P in the background through L’s speech of her in pain from pregnancy and and P helping herf
● His voice he seemed heightened and confused (this silent raging)
● ‘To hot too hot’ illuminates Leontes fully then shadows hermione and Polixenes to show them being at the back of their mind
● Signing is actually contractions (braxton hicks) shows how confused he is, Leontes noticed and didn’t do anything about it -
husband should be there but isn’t
● Childish music in the background through Max and Leontes interaction
● Max sat down and goes in and out of constant sleep - almost naive to it and drugged and only talks when spoken to, as a
reassurance to Lenotes or under influenced (not normally in a wheelchair - present him as invalid foreshadows that Sicilia is
heading down a dark path as heir is everything to a kingdom) - passive to Leontes ideas, doesn’t show much emotion accept
● Leontes won’t go near Hermione (ignores her) and doesn’t let her near his son (physical in front of heavily pregnant wife)
● Only holds were when talking to Poexenies
● Leontes is forcing them together in the stage directions - prove his version of reality
● Looks as ramblings on a confused man
● Tearing the words out (hard to watch) they are breaking him apart - physical disgust of the birth and sexual act (talking to
audience cause I’m okay) - ‘go play boy’ almost an insult so withdrawn from his words that he doesn’t understand the actions
of his words - could have hurt his son and not realised (withdrawn from reality)
● Smelling the scarf - almost like an undone lead to Hermoine
● Leontes erupts on stage - lack of movement on stage from Camilo (doesn’t try and stop him, like watching a car crash) only
stops him when he gets violent
● Tell the spider to hermione - looks happy and loved however it slowly gets darker and darker - goes to close to her
● Closeness between leontes and hermione close together and looked each other - either very close or very far representation
of what i should do and what he's chosen
● Gets down on one knee before leaving
● Leontes conveys physical violence - pushing her to the floor eeg taken to the floor by her husband but still hold composure
which diffuses it
Act 2
● Tries to look at her but does not want to
● Uses the labour a lot - maybe ruins the moment
● She tries her hand with him but she doesn't pick it up she hauls herself up angered - plus goes to pick her up conveys
battling of the mind eg reflection of protaestant and catholic
● Stands in line and don’t move stand in unity - all taller than him - makes him feel infrared to them
● When tell them of is plans with the oracle then he is praised and demeanor changes
● He roots through her bag trying to find evidence - throw the white cloth - her tained virginity
● Pauline dressed head to toe in fur - leather especially in those time , russian winter / hermione is the princess of russia - cold
of winter
● Pauline is not worried - strong and driven and commands the stage - while moving a lot compare to the guard (man) who is
subordinate
● Prison is lowlights and dark - with silhouette of crossbar on the floor
● The light comes on when the baby is delivered and given to Paulina
● No eye contact with pauline
● Leontes large pillars and blue backlight make him appear small looks like his mind / hears shouts and yells appears and
recreates his messed up psyche - eg laughing and women shouting
● Court dressed in silver ish
● When paulina anger heightens she bring it back down
● Letones hides in corner constantly moves and backs down
● Leontes looks like he hasn’t slept - broken wide eyes small in a robe
● He wants to hold the child and pick it up however he physically can’t hold him back - mental torutre - holds if and appears
like a father for a minute before the toture takes over
● Leontes acts like a child mocks paulina
● Blinks to much - paulina however commands the stage
● Pauline doesn’t move a lot on stage always commands the stage and towards center looks powerful
● Baby wrapped in Hermoine’s shawl
● Leontes - robe with under purple waistcoat with shirt and black tie
● Pathetic fallacy in scene change of thunder
Act 3
● Oracle is covered in a gold shawl - two men well dressed soldiers and only their duty
