Ballet in a Prologue and Three Acts The Winter's Tale

The childhood friendship of Kings Leontes and Polixenes shatters when Leontes, consumed by jealousy, suspects his wife Hermione is pregnant with Polixenes’ child. Driven by this belief, Leontes accuses Hermione of infidelity and subjects her to a public trial so distressing that their son, Mamillius, dies. When a daughter, Perdita, is born, she is abandoned in pastoral Bohemia and raised in secret, with Hermione reported dead. But as the story unfolds, hidden truths surface, revealing that things are not as they seem.

Prologue

Two kings separated as children are reunited in adulthood. One king, Leontes of Sicilia, marries Hermione, giving her a beautiful emerald. They have a son, Mamilllius and are blissfully happy. The other king, Polixenes of Bohemia, visits the court of Leontes. He is delighted to be reunited with his old friend and stays for nine months. By the time of his departure, Hermione is about to give birth to her second child.

Act I

The court of Sicilia

It is the day of Polixenes’ departure. The Bohemian court say goodbye to their Sicilian friends. At Hermione’s request, Polixenes agrees to stay on another week. In a flash of jealousy, Leontes becomes convinced that his wife has been unfaithful and is carrying Polixenes’ child. Jealousy turns to rage and he attacks Polixenes, who flees back to Bohemia. Leontes publicly accuses Hermione of adultery and treason, then has her arrested. This so distresses Mamillius that he falls seriously ill. In prison, Hermione has given birth to a daughter. The head of her household, Paulina, brings the newborn to Leontes, hoping to convince him that the baby is his daughter. Instead, Leontes violently rejects the child, then orders Paulina’s husband Antigonus to abandon the baby in a remote place. Antigonus sets sail into a brewing storm with the baby and some treasure, including the emerald once given to Hermione by Leontes. Hermione is brought to trial and pleads her innocence. Leontes, now quite mad, refuses to believe her. Dazed and feverish, Mamillius enters the courtroom and, upon witnessing the unfolding tragedy, he collapses and dies from distress. Seeing the death of her child, Hermione too collapses dead and is taken away. Only now does Leontes realize the disastrous consequences of his terrible mistake.

The shores of Bohemia

Battling the storm, Antigonus struggles ashore to abandon the baby princess. As he leaves, he is pursued and killed by a wild bear. His ship, waiting at sea, is smashed to pieces on the rocks. As day breaks, a shepherd and his son Clown discover the baby girl and the treasure.

Act II

A hillside in Bohemia. Sixteen years later

Perdita, the abandoned daughter of King Leontes and Queen Hermione, has been raised by the shepherd who found her. She dances beneath the great tree with her love, Prince Florizel, the son of Polixenes, whom the other villagers know only as a shepherd boy. The villagers arrive for the annual springtime festival. King Polixenes, who has heard that his son has been cavorting with a shepherdess, sends his steward to spy on the young prince. When the steward confirms his suspicions, Polixenes is enraged and demands to see for himself. At the festival, Perdita is to be crowned May Queen. In honour of the occasion, Father Shepherd presents her with the emerald necklace he found with her on the beach. Polixenes and his steward arrive in disguise, keen to see what Florizel is up to. On witnessing Florizel’s engagement to a mere shepherdess, Polixenes reveals himself. He is furious with Florizel and condemns Perdita and her family to death. They all flee by boat to Sicilia, pursued by Polixenes.

Act III

A clifftop in Sicilia

King Leontes mourns by the clifftop graves of his wife and son, watched over by Paulina. Perdita and Florizel’s ship approaches Sicilia.

The palace in Sicilia

Perdita and Florizel appeal to Leontes to allow their union and to intercede with the enraged Polixenes on their behalf. Leontes is taken with the likeness of Florizel to Polixenes. He agrees to help the young couple, who remind him of his lost children. Polixenes arrives and Leontes tries to reason with him but he violently handles Perdita, revealing the emerald. The long lost Princess of Sicilia is miraculously alive and the two kings are reunited. The Palace celebrates the wedding of Florizel and Perdita. As the festivities die down, Leontes is led by Paulina to see a new statue of Hermione. Deeply remorseful, he kneels at its base. Suddenly, the statue comes to life – it is Hermione, who is alive and has been kept in hiding by Paulina for 16 years. She embraces Leontes and the family is reunited.

• Leontes and Polixenes represent two contrasting and intricately designed worlds – austere Sicilia with its cold grey palette and a lush and colourful Bohemia.
  
  
• Act II is set during a springtime festival in Bohemia and features an enormous wishing tree with over 2,000 handmade ornaments inspired by pagan symbols.
  
  
• Puppeteer Basil Twist uses silk effects to represent Shakespeare’s famous stage direction, “Exit, pursued by a bear,” as Antigonus meets his tragic fate offstage.
  
  
• An ensemble of five musicians, the “banda,” complement The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra and play an eclectic mix of folk-inspired instruments onstage.
  
  
• Wheeldon condenses the five acts of Shakespeare’s play into three balletic acts, adding a Prologue to explain Leontes’ long friendship and reunion with Polixenes. 

Christopher Wheeldon, OBE, is Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet and a leading choreographer of his generation. His extensive work for stage includes his award-winning Broadway production An American in Paris, his ballet Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Oscar, a 2024 work for Australian Ballet based on the life and writings of Oscar Wilde.

Joby Talbot’s score captures the different moods of the prologue and three acts, moving from troubled Sicilia to joyful Bohemia and back to a Sicilia transformed to equanimity. Featuring an eclectic mix of percussion instruments and an onstage banda, Talbot’s music won the Prix Benois de la Danse for Best Score in 2015.

Choreography:
Christopher Wheeldon

Scenario
Christopher Wheeldon and Joby Talbot

Music:
Joby Talbot

Designs:
Bob Crowley

Lighting Design:
Natasha Katz

Projection Design:
Daniel Brodie

Silk Effects Design:
Basil Twist

World Premiere: The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, London, UK, April 10, 2014

The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, November 14, 2015

A co-production of The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet (UK).

Lead philanthropic support for The Winter’s Tale is provided by Richard M. Ivey, C.C., an anonymous friend and The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation with additional support by The Producers’ Circle.

The Producers’ Circle (2016): Gail & Mark Appel, John & Claudine Bailey, Inger Bartlett & Marshal Stearns, Susanne Boyce & Brendan Mullen, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M., The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation, Rosamond Ivey, Hal Jackman Foundation, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Judith & Robert Lawrie, Mona & Harvey Levenstein,  Jerry Lozinski, O.C. & Joan Lozinski, O.C., The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland,  Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Lynda & Jonas Prince, Susan Scace & Arthur Scace, C.M., Q.C., Gerald Sheff & Shanitha Kachan, Sandra Simpson and Noreen Taylor, C.M. & David Staines, C.M., O.Ont.