The Winter's Tale Comparison

Countless Shakespeare productions are created and preformed annually, yet no two productions of a show can ever be identical; furthermore, productions rarely aim to recreate a Shakespearean play exactly as it might have been originally staged, so each production is the product of its creator’s decisions, like choosing thematic focuses or costumes. Initially, Shakespeare wrote The Winter’s Tale to appeal to his early seventeenth-century audience, ranging from peasants to nobles, not today’s population, but the original text may continue to be appreciated in its pure form or an adapted retelling of the same scenario. In this period, Shakespeare was established, famous, and open to taking risks; as a result, The Winter’s Tale is difficult to nail down, for Shakespeare addresses more themes than usual, without creating

More often than not, productions modernize elements of the production in hopes of appealing to a broader, modern audience. Contrasting sets, costumes, characterization, modernization, and editing in the various, contemporary productions shine a light on Cheek by Jowl’s production’s distinctiveness; correspondingly, this production stands out to such an extent as to be a phenomenal example of modernized Shakespeare. Moreover, clips, reviews, and production photos of shows by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company provide appropriate, contrasting elements to Cheek by Jowl’s production. Primarily, Cheek by Jowl’s The Winter’s Tale push its inspirations' boundaries more so than other twenty-first-century interpretation of the same play in order to create a unique theater going experiences; at the same time, the production has a greater appeal to its contemporary audience as it reworks the story into a relatable, familiar contextual