Book Reviews and More: The Winter's Tale Stratford Festival 2025 A Review

The Winter’s Tale

2025

Stratford Festival

Director: Antoni Cimolino

Set Designer: Douglas Paraschuk

Costume Designer: Francesca Callow

Lighting Designer: Michael Walton

Composer: Wayne Kelso

Sound Designer: Ranil Sonnadara

Fight Director: Anita Nittoly

Choreographer: Adrienne Gould

The Winter's Tale Stratford Festival 2025 A Review Playbill Cover

This was the second of six planned shows this season my son and I attended with shows ranging from late May to mid-October. This was also the second Shakespeare my youngest daughter attended, at 14 she loved it. She enjoyed Macbeth so much the day before she asked if we could add a ticket for this one, and she regrets not joining us over the last couple of years. Over the last few years my son, who is now 17, and I have attended a number of plays in Stratford at the festival, and each year we have an ever growing list of shows we want to see. We eagerly await the announcements of the season’s shows and often buy our tickets early in the winter. The other shows we have seen or plan to see this season are Macbeth , As You Like It, Annie, Anne of Green Gables, and Goblin Oedipus. All three of us loved this production

This was the third of six planned shows this season, and the last of the Shakespeare’s my son and I attended. We have shows this season ranging from late May to mid-October. Over the last few years my son, who is now 17, and I have attended a number of plays in Stratford at the festival, and each year we have an ever growing list of shows we want to see. We eagerly await the announcements of the season’s shows and often buy our tickets early in the winter. The other shows we have seen or plan to see this season are Macbeth , As You Like It, Annie, Anne of Green Gables, and Goblin Oedipus. My youngest daughter wanted to join us but could not miss school, hopefully we make it back when they film this one and she can attend.

My son and I read a version of this play before it before attending it.

Both of us loved this production. It is a stunning production from the beginning to the end. There were so many excellent elements in this production. I especially loved the use of light, with the patters on the stage floor and back walls changing often. The scene with Leontes night of unrest, and the appearance of hus bed being in prison bars was magnificent. The varying patters of lights and shadows on the stage really captured the feel of the scenes, It was an excellent element of an amazing production.

The summary of the play on the festival site states:

“““IT IS REQUIRED YOU DO AWAKE YOUR FAITH.”

Blinded by jealousy, King Leontes falsely accuses his pregnant wife of infidelity, setting into motion a series of catastrophes that will destroy his wife and son and leave his infant daughter abandoned to the elements on a distant island. Seeing the folly of his ways, Leontes vows to live out his days atoning for his actions. Sixteen years later, the king is offered an unlikely chance at redemption. A late play from Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale offers a beguiling blend of comedy, tragedy and mystery.”

The synopsis in the house program states:

“Blinded by jealousy, King Leontes falsely accuses his pregnant wife Hermione and his best friend Polixenes of an affair, setting into motion a series of catastrophes that will destroy his wife and son and leave his infant daughter abandoned to the elements on a distant island. Seeing the folly of his ways, Leontes vows to live out his days atoning for his actions. Sixteen years later, the king is offered an unlikely chance at redemption. A late play from Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale offers a beguiling blend of comedy, tragedy and mystery.”

After the play we have an almost an hour drive home, and usually spend the time discussing the performance. One of the things we often discuss is favourite performers. We each come up with our list, this time there is significant overlap.

My top ranking for the performers would be:

Yanna Mcintosh as Pailina

Tom Rooney as Camillo

André Sills as Polixenes

Tom Mccamus as Old Shepherd

Graham Abbey as Leontes

My son's top picks are:

André Sills as Polixenes

Graham Abbey as Leontes

Lucy Peacock as Time

Marissa Orjalo as Perdita

Sara Topham as Hermione

The full cast is:

Time Lucy Peacock

Sicilian Court

Leontes, King Of Sicily Graham Abbey

Hermione, Queen Of Sicily Sara Topham

Mamillius, Prince Of Sicily, Their Son Philip Myersgeorge Robinet

Camillo, Ambassador To The King Tom Rooney

Antigonus David Collins

Paulina Yanna Mcintosh

Emilia, Lady In Waiting Michelle Giroux

Ladies In Waiting Katarina Fialloscaitlyn Macinnis, Krystin Pellerin, Maria Vacratsis

Cleomenes Emilio Vieira

Dion John Kirkpatrick

Servant To Mamillius Anthony Palermo

Gaoler, Justice Matthew Kabwe

Officer Of The Court Dakota Jamal Wellman

Lords Paul Dunn, Tarique Lewis, Dakota Jamal Wellman

Military Lords Aidan Desalaiz, Josh Johnston

Roman Guards Austin Eckert, Christo Graham

Mariner Tarique Lewis

Gentlemenaidan Desalaiz, Matthew Kabwe, Anthony Palermo

Servant Poet Paul Dunn

Waiters Paul Dunn, Anthony Palermo

Bohemian Court

Polixenes, King Of Bohemia André Sills

Florizel, His Son, The Prince Austin Eckert

Archidamus Matthew Kabwe

The Shepherds and Shepherdesses of Bohemia

Old Shepherd Tom Mccamus

Young Shepherd Christo Graham

Perdita Marissa Orjalo

Autolycus Geraint Wyn Davies

Mopsa Katarina Fiallos

Dorcas Caitlyn Macinnis

Shepherds Aidan Desalaiz, Paul Dunn, Matthew Kabwe, John Kirkpatrick, Tarique Lewis, Anthony Palermo, Emilio Vieira, Dakota Jamal Wellman

Shepherdesses Katarina Fiallos, Michelle Giroux, Caitlyn Macinnis, Krystin Pellerin, Maria Vacratsis

Musician Shepherd Josh Johnston

Satyrs Aidan Desalaiz, Paul Dunn, Christo Graham, John Kirkpatrick, Tarique Lewis, Anthony Palermo, Emilio Vieira, Dakota Jamal Wellman

Understudies

Autolycus, Archidamus, Gaoler, Justice, Gentleman Aidan Desalaiz

Dion, Cleomenes, Lord, Mariner Paul Dunn

Perdita, Lady In Waiting Katarina Fiallos

Antigonus, Military Lord, Gentleman. Servant Poet, Lord, Waiter Josh Johnston

Old Shepherd, Polixenes Matthew Kabwe

Leontes John Kirkpatrick

Lord, Officer Of The Court, Waiter, Servant To Mamillius, Gentleman Tarique Lewis

Emilia, Lady In Waiting Caitlyn Macinnis

Young Shepherd, Roman Guard Anthony Palermo

Hermione, Mopsa, Dorcas Krystin Pellerin

Time, Paulina Maria Vacratsis

Camillo Emilio Vieira

Florizel, Roman Guard, Military Lord, Musician Shepherd Dakota Jamal Wellman

When my son and I found out that André Sills was in this one he was even more excited to see it. Over the last few seasons he has become one of his favourite stage actors. This was an excellent staging and production of this play. I have previously mentioned the use of lights, and shadows and lighting effects. The costumes were magnificent. And the pace and timing amazing. This year this is the traditional production of the three Shakespeare’s on offer and it is well worth seeing.

My son had not quite finished reading this before we say it and I had only finished my reread a few days before the production. With how fresh it was in both our minds it was very easy to follow the play. The director’s note in the handbill states:

““A sad tale’s best for winter.”

So whispers the young boy Mamillius as he prepares to tell a tale of sprites and goblins to his mother. A winter’s tale. A tale best told by a fire. Perhaps a tale of kings and queens, improbable events, of children lost and children found.

But the boy never gets to tell his story, as he is interrupted by his father who has a tale of his own to tell. His is a story of immense drama based upon a husband’s senseless jealousy. It explores the darkest corners of human nature and ultimately becomes a story.”

And it concludes with:

“But the power of The Winter’s Tale lies in it being a tale. It is simultaneously funny and sad and filled with unlikely and strange events. It is fantastical and has a cast of characters that include Time itself, a delightful group of country bumpkins and a bear who gives rise to the famed stage direction “Exit Pursued by a Bear.”

And yet in it we feel the power of truth. A truth that goes deeper and rises above naturalism. It is a tale “not for an age but for all time” as Ben Jonson wrote of William Shakespeare himself. In it we witness the eternal tension between instinct and reason, between nature and art and between the Great Goddess Nature and Apollo.

And in this tension The Winter’s Tale suggests the most important questions of any person’s life: what and who do we love? And where do we place our faith?”

Antoni Cimolino is the Artistic director for the whole festival and has been for 12 seasons now, this is his penultimate season in that role. He was also the director of this play, which was one of Shakespeare’s last plays, and he did an amazing job. He was in the audience during the production we were at. My son managed to catch him at the intermission and get an autograph on a playbill, and a photo with him. He was so excited and shared the news with his sister and his drama teacher as soon as he could.

This was another incredible production from the cast, crew and artistic team at the Stratford Festival. The state of the art theatre, the newest in Stratford The Tom Patterson is an excellent venue, and it worked perfectly for this production. If you have the chance to see it, in theatre or on film if this is one they record we can easily recommend it. A wonderful production of this Winter’s Tale, we can easily recommend it.

Note: Photos by David Hou/Stratford Festival.