We have rounded up the reviews for the Royal Ballet’s revival of Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet take on Shakespeare’s play…
The Observer: ***** “Everyone danced beautifully; everyone looked happy. As well they might. This Winter’s Tale is a gift.”
Culture Whisper.com: ***** “Joby Talbot’s score tells the story with great verve and inventiveness. Bob Crowley’s designs are superlatively versatile and range from the broody interiors of Leontes’s palace in Act I to the sunny, colourful and carefree atmosphere of Act II Bohemia (and that tree!). In Act III, back in Sicily, Crowley gradually transports the action from the dark interiors to a bright, open setting where repentance and forgiveness come together, helped by Natasha Katz’s always intelligent and atmospheric lighting. Daniel Brodie’s projections bring an element of wonder and magic to an enthralling evening.”
London Unattached: “The combination of Christopher Wheeldon’s incredible choreography, the amazing contrasting sets, designs and costumes of Bob Crowley, the lighting by Natasha Katz and the projections and special stage effects of Daniel Brodie and Basil Twist, is superb. Added to that we have the staging of Jacquelin Barrett and Christopher Saunders, the wonderful score of Joby Talbot, the amazing orchestra conducted by Koen Kessels, and the coaching of Edward Watson and Zenaida Yanowsky, making a truly memorable and brilliant evening.”
Broadway World: ***** “Another winning aspect is Bob Crowley’s visual stylings; the very different sets for the first and second act are dazzling affairs, immediately immersing us into their respective locations . Daniel Brodie’s full-size projections bring to vivid life the sea journeys while My Neighbour Totoro’s Basil Twist adds some wonderful silk effects. Although the bear is seen only in a fleeting glimpse (a more gory finale for Antigonus would absolutely not have been out of step with the first act), the heartbreakingly bittersweet ending which brings together the talents of Wheeldon, Talbot and Katz is probably as good as it gets.”
The Telegraph: ***** “Christopher Wheeldon has revived his beautiful adaptation of the Bard’s tonally wonky play – and it’s a must-see delight.”
The Arts Desk: ***** “If there is a more striking, more moving, more downright enjoyable way to experience Shakespeare’s second-from-last play, I have yet to see it.”
Bachtrack.com: ***** “An essential talent for a choreographer is a strong theatrical vision and good taste in bringing together collaborators who can immerse themselves in that vision to bring it to life, and The Winter’s Tale exemplifies that melding of the elements of any artistically successful production.”
The Stage: ***** “Masterclass in storytelling from Christopher Wheeldon gets a triumphant 10th-anniversary revival.”
The Jewish Chronicle: ***** “The exuberant dancing in Act II provides welcome relief to the dramas of the first and third acts, with Bob Crowley’s clever designs working well. And if you want to see how Shakespeare’s famous stage direction – “Exit, pursued by a bear” – is tackled, you will just have to go and see it.”
Time Out: **** “With a score by Joby Talbot that flits between Hitchcockian intensity and alluring oriental folk, Wheeldon’s adaptation conveys the highs and lows of love through swooping contrasts and diverse duets, merging traditional ballet with a more modern sensibility.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/the-winters-tale-by-christopher-wheeldon-details