The renowned British theatre company Cheek by Jowl returns to the María Guerrero Theatre in Madrid with its latest production of one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays.
As part of its international “Shakespeare Lives” programme in Spain the British Council is supporting the presence in Madrid of one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious British theatre companies directed by its founder and artistic director Declan Donnellan. Considered to be one of Shakespeare's greatest plays and despite being written at the same period as “The Tempest”, “The Winter's Tale”, smashes all the rules that “The Tempest” follows. Unity of time, place and action are hurled aside as we range across Europe, from court to country, from high tragedy to low comedy, across a time span of fourteen years. “The Winter's Tale” tells of a delusional and paranoid king who tears his family apart. But this is the new Shakespeare, after he completed his great tragedies, and the tough struggle for redemption yields flickers of hope. Initial darkness gives way to joy as Time leads the characters to a shattering conclusion...
Produced by Cheek by Jowl in a co-production with the Centro Dramático Nacional (INAEM), Madrid; the Barbican, London; Les Gémeaux/Sceaux/Scène Nationale, Paris; Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg; Piccolo Teatro di Milano - Teatro d'Europa and Chicago Shakespeare Theater;
As a complement to the performances the director Declan Donnellan and the set designer Nick Ormedor will offer a pre-performance talk on Saturday 13th February at 7pm in the Xirgu Hall at the María Guerrero Theatre.