Shakespearience in the Foothills

It's almost halfway over, but if you're a fan of the bard, you won't want to miss the second half!The "Hills Theatre Collective" is presenting 4 seasons of Shakespeare over several weeks at the Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre. The first in the series was a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. This had already passed before i realised it was playing. The Dream is being followed by The Winter's Tale, then Henry V and The Taming of the Shrew. For more information and bookings contact BOCS ticketing or check the link below.I caught The Winter's Tale presented by Scarp Theatre last night. The predominantly younger company rose admirably to the challenge of a difficult text. Nick Miller as Leontes gave a passionate performance and he was well matched by Kerry Leigh's Paulina. The comic trio of Kingsley Judd, Paul Burton and David Ryding had some great moments of comic business in the second act and there was some good ensemble playing.The production was given a sparse staging that may have suited the first part of the play well, but the sharp dramatic contrast between the courtly world of Sicilia in the first half and the idyllic pastoral world of Bohemia in the second really required some contrasting setting. Costume and properties may have fared well with more attention to these details... without much effort or expense. The notion of throwing up slides with scene details between each scene was a stylish, if intrusive, device.It's not going to be "required viewing" by everyone's standards, but for anyone with a passion for Shakespeare, it's a scant opportunity too good to miss.CheersGrant