Cheek by Jowl to Bring THE WINTER'S TALE to BAM This December

BAM presents US Premiere of The Winter's Tale by Cheek by Jowl, running December 6-11, 2016 at the BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St). Influential director Declan Donnellan tackles Shakespeare's classic tale of jealousy, madness, and magical transformation. Tickets start at $25.

Directed by Declan Donnellan, THE WINTER'S TALE is designed by Nick Ormerod, with lighting designer Judith Greenwood, composer and Sound Designer Paddy Cunneen and associate and movement director Jane Gibson.

Known for its imaginative staging of the classics, the British theater troupe Cheek by Jowl returns to BAM with Shakespeare's late romance The Winter's Tale, in a production originally conceived to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death. With actors in casual modern dress and the intelligent use of simple sets, director Declan Donnellan, who won a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale this summer, renders the time- and location-shifting storyline fluidly and clearly.

This production puts the Sicilian king Leontes (Orlando James, who played the title role in the staged Shakespeare in Love in London) at the center, portraying him as in constant conflict with himself. His unfounded suspicion and refusal to be reasoned with lead to the tragic fulfillment of the oracle "the king shall live without an heir if that which is lost be not found." With its usual high energy, the Entire company infuses this classic tale with heightened drama, crackling hilarity, and genuine emotion.

Pictured: Edward Sayer, Orlando James, Natalie Radmall-Quirke, Tom Cawte. Photo by Johan Persson.