Who could miss MacTheatre’s regular Shakespeare in the Park? A fabulous evening’s entertainment. Bring a picnic and enjoy the beer tent (at the interval, of course)!

Tickets: £6, £4

Synopsis

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The Winter’s Tale is late Shakespearean tragi-comedy, written and performed around 1610 or 11. It offers three acts of unremitting tragedy, followed by two acts of restorative comedy

Polixenes, the King of Bohemia is visiting the kingdom of Sicilia, and is enjoying catching up with his old friend Leontes. However, after nine months, Polixenes yearns to return to his own kingdom to tend to affairs and see his son. Leontes desperately attempts to get Polixenes to stay longer, but is unsuccessful. Leontes then decides to send his wife, Queen Hermione, to try to convince Polixenes. Hermione is successful. Leontes is puzzled as to how Hermione convinced Polixenes so easily, and is suddenly consumed with an insane paranoia that his pregnant wife has been having an affair with Polixenes and that the unborn child is a bastard. Leontes orders Camillo, a Sicilian Lord, to poison Polixenes.

Camillo instead warns Polixenes and they both flee to Bohemia, Leontes arrests Hermione on charges of adultery and conspiracy against his life. Hermione has prematurely given birth to a daughter in prison. Leontes angrily dismisses all attempts to convince him he is wrong. Leontes considers killing this child before ordering a lord, Antigonus, to abandon the infant far away.

Antigonus abandons the child on the seacoast of Bohemia. The child is named "Perdita" (derived from the Latin word for "lost"). Antigonus leaves the child is then suddenly pursued and eaten by a bear! Fortunately, Perdita is rescued by a shepherd and his simpleton son. There is a large amount of money with the baby and the shepherd is now very rich.

Time enters and announces the passage of sixteen years. Leontes has spent the sixteen years mourning his wife and children.

Polixenes and Camillo become aware that Florizel (Polixenes' son) has become infatuated with a shepherdess. They attend a sheep-shearing festival (in disguise) and confirm that the young Prince Florizel plans to marry a shepherd's beautiful young daughter (Perdita, who knows nothing of her royal heritage). At the sheep-shearing, Autolycus turns up again selling his ballads and various other prizes he has procured from other people’s pockets

Polixenes objects to the marriage between Florizel and Perdita and threatens the young couple. Quickly, the lovers flee to Sicilia with the help of Camillo, and Polixenes pursues them. Eventually, with a bit of unwitting help Autolycus, Perdita's heritage is revealed and she is reunited with her father Leontes. The kings are reconciled and both approve of Florizel and Perdita's marriage. They all go to visit a statue of Hermione kept by Paulina. Miraculously, the statue comes to life and speaks, appearing to be the real Hermione, who went into hiding to await the fulfilment of the oracle's prophecy and be reunited with her daughter.