The Winter's Tale 1998

THE WINTER'S TALE
The Stratford Festival
9 June - 20 September, 1998

by William Shakespeare
Directed by Brian Bedford

Mr Johnson as Autolycus
(Michelle Giroux as Mopsa, Tim McDonald as Young Shepherd & Cara Hunter as Dorcas)

In the first part of The Winter's Tale we meet a jealous king (Leontes), who accuses his queen (Hermione)of having an affair with his close friend (Polixenes). His stubborn refusal to listen to reason costs him his son, his wife and his newborn daughter (Perdita).

In the middle of The Winter's Tale, 16 years have passed, Perdita has been raised by a shepherd and his son, and is being wooed by the son of Polixenes.

Mr Johnson is Autolycus, a clown, a thief, a peddlar. We first meet him on a road, pretending to have been robbed in order to pick the pocket of the young shepherd. He shows up at the sheep-shearing party of the shepherds, with his cart of trinkets and songs to sell (while lifting the purses of the partygoers).

In spite of himself, he manages to play a part in revealing the true identity of the young princess.

In the end, Leontes is reunited with Perdita, and Hermione is restored to them, so all ends well.

1997 Death of a Salesman

1998 the Cherry Orchard

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