A Winter's Tale on a summer evening

The Winter's Tale,

By William Shakespeare

Red Rose Chain,

Rendlesham Forest

Until August 30 www.theatreintheforest.com

IT'S just an everyday story of country folk and Kings; jealousy and murderous rage, death, revenge and redemption.

In Shakespeare's tragic-comedy distrust turns to murderous plots, narrow escapes and a baby is abandoned in a forest.

This tenth anniversary Red Chain Forest production has seen the opportunities of performing under the stars exploited to the full.

The setting itself is magical, a stage of wood chips and a simple set of boxes, bales and other movable objects with a back drop of pine trees with the moths flitting in the spotlights rising into the sky.

For the audience on holiday there is even a homage to the seaside puppet show

In this Shakespeare tale childhood friends King Leontes of Sicilia (Jimmy Grimes) and King Polixenes of Bohemia (Joseph Pitcher) are divided when Leontes accuses his queen Hermione, (Natasha Pring) of adultery, and worse.

The suspicion grows and affects all those around them and Shakespeare gives Leontes some of his most angry speeches.

There are great performances throughout. The two Kings are powerful, the Queen (Natasha Pring) is the right mix of playful and haughty and Joanne Carrick gets some of the best lines as the judgmental Paulina, who speaks up for the wronged wife and does some plotting herself.

It was great to see whole family groups, from young babes in arms and toddlers up to elderly grandparents, together watching and enjoying.

DAVID VINCENT