The Winter’s Tale

The cast list past and present of Propeller, Britain’s all-male Shakespearean troupe, reads like a Who’s Who of British drama on stage and screen. Even if you’ve never watched Shakespeare before, you will find in Propeller names you’ve seen on the credits for TV shows such as The Bill, Doctor Who, Emmerdale, My Family, Foyle’s War, Silent Witness, New Tricks and a host of other BBC productions, and if you listen to the Beeb online you might’ve heard some of them there as well. That’s without even considering their collective experience of film and stage in a wide range of environments including other Shakespeare companies.

Before this season I knew nothing about Propeller. My preconceptions were that it would probably be a traditional company that had reverted to the style of production of Shakespeare’s time, when boys played women’s roles.

But Propeller does not employ any boys. They are all grown men, and a more talented and versatile company you are unlikely to find anywhere. All of them can sing, dance, play one or more musical instruments and spout the bard as if they’d done it since babyhood. What’s more, they play the female roles as men, not souped-up women. It takes a bit of effort to suspend one’s disbelief when a female character has a masculine face and coiffure, for there are no wigs, no glam girlie slap – just thoroughly good characterisation. Although all the actors who played female roles had lighter voices, they were all shapes and sizes, often being taller than their husbands, fathers and lovers.

And yet it worked, once I got used to the idea. Paulina, played by Vince Leigh, is a case in point. Leigh was always assertive, purposeful, loyal – all things a good Paulina needs to be – yet he demonstrated those qualities through a female persona. It must be admitted that Leigh’s height helped put the commanding nature of the character across. However, Hermione (Richard Dempsey) and Perdita (Ben Allen) were also tall, but they are less assertive characters than Paulina and they were just as convincing.

Not only women, but children! I would especially like to commend Ben Allen for his lovely interpretation of the ill-fated Prince Mamillius. As I’ve said, he is a tall man, but he played the part of a pyjama-clad pre-schooler to perfection. I was genuinely sorry when the character died! Yet his Perdita was a charming teenage girl. That’s just one example of the amazing versatility of these players.

The two kings, Leontes (Robert Hands) and Polixenes (Nicholas Asbury), proved excellent foils for each other. We see their relationship spoiled by Leontes’s jealousy, and rejoice with them when the rift is healed by their children. Camillo (Chris Myles) also aroused our sympathy in his dilemma at having to desert his post to save his life – and that of King Polixenes.

The sheep-shearing party in Act IV was a hoot. Director Edward Hall has turned it into a rock show, with bands (all manned by the actors) and most of the lines sung instead of spoken. The sheep were delightful and Gunnar Cauthery and Richard Dempsey, as the two tarty shepherdesses, gave us several laughs. They were about as high camp as this company ever gets, complete with wigs, high heels, and clothes we all recognise as popular among today’s teenagers. And well may it be so, because this is a very contemporary production. If you want to see an all-singing, all dancing Winter’s Tale, this one is about as close as you’ll get.

A final commendation – the sound and lighting in both plays in this season are brilliant. David Gregory must have researched thunderclaps to Master’s level as they are a prominent feature of both Winter’s Tale and Henry V, although in the latter case they’re no doubt meant to symbolise the savage sounds of war. And Ben Omerod’s lighting is superb, as is Michael Pavelka’s design. Director Edward Hall certainly knows how to put a team together and how to get the best out of every individual. Viva Propeller!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Propeller, in association with The Touring Partnership presents
The Winter’s Tale
Director: Edward Hall
Design: Michael Pavelka
Lighting: Ben Ormerod
Sound: David Gregory
Stage Manager: Laura Routledge
Cast includes: Ben Allen, Nicholas Asbury, Tony Bell, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, Gunnar Cauthery, Karl Davies, Richard Dempsey, John Dougall, Robert Hands, Finn Hanlon, Vince Leigh, Chris Myles, Gary Shelford, Dominic Thorburn

His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth
17 January–25 Feb 2012
Info: www.perthfestival.com.au