Now is the Winter is a reworking of Richard III (1591) by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) told from the perspective of Bess a servant of Richard, Duke of Gloucester. The main problem is that without knowledge of the original text it is incredibly difficult to follow. The script is entirely in Shakespearean language which - while fitting the period in which the play is set - makes it hard to understand.

Helen McGregor plays Bess well. She is very articulate, varies the pitch and tone of her voice nicely and does a good job of conveying the meaning of the language. Her facial expressions are highly evocative and she suggests a deep understanding of the character. It is testament to Helen McGregor's acting ability that she commands attention regardless of how confusing the play is. From the minute she enters with 'Now is the winter of our discontent' through to the exciting and powerful ending she has strong stage presence. The play is effectively a one-hour monologue and the sheer volume of flawless line-learning achieved is impressive in itself.

Kate Saffin's script does a good job of making the main character believable and condensing a complex story into a short play in a very natural way. One small issue with the character of Bess is that for a servant she seems to know too much and have too great an understanding of the complicated contemporary politics surrounding her. As above, the difficulty with the script is that because of the style of writing, it sounds impressive but is confusing. There seems no need for that kind of language, and by modernising it the play would open up.

Bill Moulford's sound design is particularly impressive and richly detailed. Sound effects are finely layered to create a well-imagined world which compliments the set designed by Peter Ledwith. Together, they successfully turn the space into a 15th Century kitchen. Real windows become the windows of the kitchen and it is easy to believe that events described by Bess are happening outside. This is added to by the natural light used to light the stage. In fact, very few lights are used at all, providing a further level of realism.

Costumes and props are detailed and almost entirely period. In particular the costume worn by Bess is impressive with a white corset on top of a red dress with brown robes and a head-dress. Props are well thought through, but there is a clearly modern flask used at one point which is anachronistic and a strange choice.

Overall, Now is the Winter is a needlessly confusing play, but great thought and care has clearly been taken in realising it. Still, the question remains: if it is a reimagining of a previous play, why keep it stuck so firmly in the past?

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Helen McGregor – Bess.

Company Credits: Writer (of Richard III (1591)) - William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Writer (of Now is the Winter) - Kate Saffin. Director - Kate Saffin. Set Designer - Peter Ledwith. Lighting Designer - uncredited. Sound Designer - Bill Moulford. Technical Operator - John Bradford. Stage Manager - Susi Dalton. Stage Manager - Neil Fisher. Stage Manager - Daniel Whitley. Publicity Design - Tim Howse. Kneading Coach - Susi Dalton. Producer - uncredited. Company - Roundham Lock. Website - www.roundhamlocktheatre.co.uk

END

(c) Matthew Rose 2010

reviewed Thursday 8 April 2010 / Old Library, Oxford, UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2010

www.fringereport.com