Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is putting on a production of Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale", by Ria Parryre-imagined for everyone aged six and over.
Leontes and Hermione are King and Queen of Sicilia. Their friend, Polixenes - the King of Bohemia - has been staying with them and, although he's at first reluctant, Hermione successfully persuades him to extend his visit..
However, Leontes becomes jealous of the friendship between his Queen and Polixenes, and in a rage sentences him to death. Luckily Polixenes manages to escape back to his own kingdom. Meanwhile Hermione gives birth to a daughter but Leontes, still angry with his wife, banishes the baby to a far-off land as a punishment. Hermione is so upset that she dies and King Leontes, realising too late the consequences of his actions, becomes plagued by sadness.
The servant who has been instructed to abandon the baby princess, names her Perdita (Latin for 'lost'), but is chased away by a wild beast before he is able to see her rescued.
Sixteen years later, having been raised by a shepherd, Perdita – unaware of her royal connections – meets and falls in love with Prince Florizel, who happens to be the son of Polixenes, the King of Bohemia! The King, noticing that his son is acting strangely, disguises himself so he can spy on him at a sheep shearing party. The romance is discovered but the King, believing Perdita to be a commoner, forbids the relationship to continue. Prince Florizel and Perdita run away together to Sicilia.
Polixenes thinks that the shepherd, Perdita's guardian, is part of the elopement conspiracy. Fortunately he is able to clear his name by showing the King some tokens that were left with Perdita when he found her sixteen years earlier. These prove that she is of royal blood and the daughter of Leontes, the King of Sicilia.
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Open Air Theatre, Regent's ParkIf stuffy auditoriums aren't your thing, the Open Air Theatre in the heart of Regent's Park offers a chance to enjoy quality theatre under a star-lit sky. Many of the productions are adaptations of Shakespeare, although musicals and comedy nights also feature highly.
Other characters are played by members of the Company
Leontes, King of Sicilia, Guy Burgess / Perdita, their daughter, Sirine Sada / Hermione, Queen of Sicilia, Kezrena James / Paulina / Camillo, their servants, / Alexandra Maher / Polixenes, King of Bohemia, Dean Nolan / Florizel, his son, Lewis Goody