Review: A Winter's Tale well told by youngsters

The Winter's Tale

by Shropshire Youth Theatre

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Shropshire Youth Theatre blazed a trail last night, performing the very first Shakespeare at the county's new theatre and making an excellent job of it.

The closing scene of The Winter's Tale, as the statuesque Hermione steps from her stony plinth into the repentant arms of her jealous husband Leontes, is one of The Bard's most moving moments.

Rosie Coxhead's grace and poise at her resurrection - revealing a bright red flower in her cradling hands - brought a tear to the eye and encapsulated the quality of this production.

Beverley Baker's classy costumes and lighting guru Nik Jeremy's shifting shadows, together with thunderingly good earthquake and rainstorm effects, gave the teenage company a highly professional platform on which to give a broad array of polished performances.

Jolon Kemp Walker was pacey and suitably tyrannical as the impetuous King, driving the plot with wicked intent and gimlet eye. Lee Titley cleverly countered this with a well measured "just being reasonable" portrayal of the wronged Polixenes, reminding me of William Hague in his formative years.

I was most impressed by 15-year-old Hattie Brown, playing Paulina with a mature comprehension of Shakespeare's intent and a lived-in voice, shot through with emotion. And I laughed out loud at Matt Broomfield's grinning Groucho, complete with magic tricks and knowing winks as the roguish slave Autolycus.

Andrew Bannerman's neatly trimmed text gave narrator Alba Grey ample opportunity to display her classical vocal powers and fine stage presence as Time who "waits for no man".

There really wasn't a duff performance as the disciplined cast of 24 let the words do the talking in an Arts Council funded production that was as clear as a bell. They've set a high bar for professional Shakespearian players following their footsteps at Theatre Severn.

Chris Eldon Lee