Northern Broadsides to Tour THE WINTER'S TALE

Following the critical success earlier in the year with their production of King Lear, the acclaimed Yorkshire theatre company Northern Broadsides will return to the works of Shakespeare this autumn with a daringly theatrical and heartbreakingly human new staging of his tale of reconciliation, love and forgiveness - The Winter's Tale.

Directed and featuring Northern Broadsides' Resident Director and composer Conrad Nelson and created in partnership with Harrogate Theatre, the production premieres at Harrogate Theatre from 18-26 September before embarking on a national tour until November 28th.

The play opens on New Year's Eve in 1999, the Millennium bells ring out with hope for the new century. But a lower, ominous note underscores these festivities and the characters are quickly plunged into darkness.

Seized by sudden, irrational jealousy King Leontes falsely accuses his pregnant Queen of infidelity with his closest friend, who flees without answering the accusation. Leontes then proclaims his newborn daughter a bastard and condemns the innocent to death. But the child, Perdita, survives.

What follows is a beautiful and beguiling love story where the cold hand of winter gives way to the brightness and vibrancy of spring.

This will be the first time in the company's 23 years old history that the company will have staged The Winter's Tale.

The Winter's Tale's excellent cast will feature director Conrad Nelson as Leontes, in his first stage role for Northern Broadsides since his acclaimed performance as Iago opposite Lenny Henry in Othello in 2009. He will joined by Hannah Barrie (Macbeth, Chester Performs); Jack Lord (The Mist in the Mirror, Oldham Coliseum); Ruth Alexander (Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Northern Broadsides); Vanessa Schofield (The Borrowers, New Vic Theatre); Jordon Kemp ; Michael Hugo (Around the World in 80 Days, New Vic Theatre); Andy Cryer (King Lear, Northern Broadsides); Andrew Whitehead (She Stoops to Conquer, Northern Broadsides); Jessica Dyas (I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire, New Vic Theatre); Lauryn Redding (Alice's Adventures Underground, Waterloo Vaults and An August Bank Holiday Lark, Northern Broadsides); Russell Richardson (An August Bank Holiday Lark, Northern Broadsides) and Adam Barlow (Bell, Book and Candle, New Vic Theatre).

The production will be designed by Dawn Allsopp (A Government Inspector, Northern Broadsides), lighting by Mark Howland (Twelve Angry Men, West End, An August Bank Holiday Lark and The Grand Gesture, Northern Broadsides), music by Conrad Nelson which will be directed by Rebekah Hughes (The Grand Gesture, Northern Broadsides).

Northern Broadsides is a unique theatre company with a true Northern voice. Their work is characterised by a high degree of theatrical inventiveness and robust performances from a large ensemble cast of multi-talented and charismatic Northern actors who all perform in their natural voices. For the past 23 years, they have delighted audiences here and abroad with a growing classic repertoire which has won them many awards and a loyal following worldwide.

The Winter's Tale will open at Harrogate Theatre from 18-26 September and then tour to Oldham. Bury St Edmunds, Scarborough, Cheltenham, Huddersfield, Newcastle under Lyme, Lancaster, Liverpool and Halifax. Tickets will be on sale for most venues in the coming weeks.

For more info visit www.northern-broadsides.co.uk & www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

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