The Winter's Tale

By William Shakespeare.

"A sad tale's best for winter..."

Come and join Downing Dramatic Society at the beautiful Howard Theatre for our magical production of William Shakespeare's tragicomedy The Winter's Tale - the perfect lead into the festive season!

Leontes, King of Sicilia, becomes irrationally convinced that his pregnant wife, Hermione, is having an affair with his childhood friend, Polixenes. Driven down a path of paranoia, Leontes becomes consumed by jealousy, with catastrophic consequences for his family. Sixteen years later, the one chance for Leontes' redemption and the restoration of his family lies with their long lost daughter, Perdita.

DDS' production will transport you into the fairytale-esque realm of the play, constrasting the dystopian vision of patriarchal violence in Sicilia in the first half of the play with the utopian, pastoral vision of Bohemia in the second. The production's interest in theatrical spectacle and folklorish storytelling ultimately aims to encapsulate the magical potential of theatre.

Content warning: Abuse / violence / death and/or dying (including the death of a child) / pregnancy / mental illness / discrimination