The Winter’s Tale
“Ground-breaking, unique, mesmerising - innovative access, stellar performances”
- Theatre Ninja
UK premiere of Tracy Young's gripping new translation of Shakespeare's bold and moving play
Touring and livestreaming Winter 2024-25
It’s the toughest winter ever in Sicilia Court, a rundown council estate still waiting to be levelled up.
High costs and low wages mean cold homes, hungry stomachs and desperate minds - it’s impossible for anyone to hold their nerve here.
When the king of the estate accuses his wife of cheating, he shames her in public and threatens anyone who dares to challenge him.
As jealousy and rage spiral out of control, unthinkable cruelty takes over the estate and everything falls apart.
Is there any hope that the truth will out, and will the community ever recover?
The Winter's Tale is co-created by a team of Deaf, disabled, LGBTQ+, global majority, neurodivergent and working class theatre makers
Featuring creative BSL in some scenes
Saturday evening performances are fully BSL interpreted
All performances are captioned using the free Difference Engine app - please download to your smart phone or tablet before you arrive and make sure your device is fully charged
You can find out more about the Difference Engine app here
Creative audio description throughout the show
Running time: 3 hours including an interval of 20 minutes
Suitable for people aged 16 and above
Contains strong language including swearing and misogynistic insults, and representation of mental illness, physical violence, substance misuse, child neglect and death
Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
Friday 6 December 2024 - 7.00pm
captioned, audio described
Saturday 7 December 2024 - 2.30pm
captioned, audio described
Saturday 7 December 2024 - 7.00pm
BSL interpreted, captioned, audio described
Tickets on sale now
Derby Theatre Studio
Friday 10 January 2025 - 7.00pm
captioned, audio described
Saturday 11 January 2025 - 3.00pm
captioned, audio described
Saturday 11 January 2025 - 8.00pm
BSL interpreted, captioned, audio described
Tickets on sale now
Livestream on YouTube
Saturday 11 January 2025 - 8.00pm
BSL interpreted, captioned, audio described
Details coming soon
Cast
Sam Beckett Jr
fluid pronouns
Camillo, Antigonus
Sam is a theatre performer, writer and producer. They have worked in most areas of the theatre landscape and enjoy the opportunity to bring new voices to traditional stories.
Recent credits: Carnival Queer (M Productions), Othello Re:Mx (Purple Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing / Hero's Song (1623).
Sam is proud to be working with 1623 and Play On again, breathing new life into this much-loved play.
Donna Briscoe-Greene
she / her
Oracle, Singer
Biography coming soon.
JJ Cruickshank
he / they
Archidamus, Florizel
JJ is a trans masc multidisciplinary theatre professional who works as a theatremaker, writer, performer, producer and facilitator.
JJ has performed at theatres including Shakespeare's Globe, Chichester Festival Theatre, Leeds Playhouse, Northern Stage, York Theatre Royal and Stephen Joseph Theatre.
In 2021, JJ and Alex Briggs started the LGBTQIA+ theatre company, (Not) Forever. Since then, JJ has been developing his first play, How to be a HOT MESS, which had an ACE-supported R&D recently. The play is now ready for tour with the support of director Jamie Fletcher and an incredible team of queer and trans designers.
Wambui Hardcastle
they / she
Mamillius, Perdita
Biography coming soon.
Erin Siobhan Hutching
she / her
Paulina, Mopsa
Erin is an associate artist with 1623. She trained at Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York, Melbourne Actors Lab in Australia and University of Canterbury in New Zealand.
Erin's theatre credits include: Barrier(s) (National Theatre), The Promise (Deafinitely Theatre / Lyric Hammersmith / Birmingham Rep), Treasure Island (Derby Theatre), Telethon (Talk Show / Shoreditch Town Hall), Macbeth (1623), The Process (Bunker Theatre), 4:48 Psychosis (Deafinitely Theatre / New Diorama), peeling (UK tour), People People of the Eye (UK tour), A Midsummer Night's Dream (German tour), Boy in a Dress (Battersea Arts Centre/ UK tour).
Film and television credits include: EastEnders (BBC), Deaf Funny (BSLBT), The Ballad of Des and Mo (Hello Camera).
Erin is a lead artist with The DH Ensemble, whose work has been developed with National Theatre Studio, Northern Stage, Battersea Arts Centre, The Yard and Liberty Festival.
Donna Mullings
she / her
Hermione, Dorcas
Donna has performed with both Deaf and integrated mainstream theatre companies.
Her work with Deafinitely Theatre includes: Something Else (UK tour), Love Labour’s Lost (Shakespeare’s Globe), Children of the Greater God (Jackson’s Lane), Vagina Monologues (Cochrane Theatre).
Her other theatre work includes: Treasure Island, Pulse (Derby Theatre), Macbrew (1623), The Who’s Tommy (Ramps on the Moon), Baa Moo Yellow Dog (Half Moon Theatre), Cinderella’s Sisters, The Crane (Red Earth Theatre), Beauty and the Beast, A Christmas Carol, Hansel and Gretel, Murder Mystery (Real Life), An Unfortuante Pregnancy (3D Drama Pantomime).
Television, presenting and film work includes: Magic Hands (CBeebies), Deaf Funny (Eyewitness Media), Supersonic (Nealth Film), Domestic Abuse (SignHealth), ITV Tyne Tees Television, SignPost (Newcastle), Remark! (London).
Mask work includes Midwives on Call (Vamos Theatre).
BSL consultancy work includes: Sign Song (Hiccup Theatre), The Paradise Bar (Paradise Bar Production), Oh No George! (Can’t Sit Still Theatre), The Emperor’s New Clothes, Three Billy Goats Gruff (Hiccup Theatre / Derby Theatre), Robin Hood (Derby Theatre).
Dance work includes: Def Motion (Reims Clin d’Oeil Festival, France), Incloodu Festival (London), WoW Festival (Black Country).
Donna runs the Deaf Youth Theatre at Derby Theatre for participants aged 10-15. She also work as an arts administrator at Derby Theatre.
Donna is excited about playing the roles of Hermione and Dorcas in The Winter’s Tale with 1623 theatre company.
Michael Muyunda
he / him
Bear, William
Michael is an associate artist of 1623.
Recent roles with 1623 include: Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing (Century Theatre) and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (online).
Karen Spicer
she / her
Emilia, Sage
Karen is a freelance actor, director , workshop facilitator, and access support worker.
She is artistic co-director of Damn Cheek Theatre Company, and an associate artist of 1623.
Proudly from Nottingham, now living in Brighton, Karen has had amazing opportunities and experiences of performing and touring nationally and internationally on fringe and mainstream stages – from Brazil to the Barbican and beyond.
She has also had the thrill of acting on TV, radio and in a number of short independent films, playing a variety of mums, social workers, therapists , art teachers, and a super hero.
It is, though, through her work with companies such as Red Ladder, Theatre Centre, Graeae, Diverse City, 1623 , Damn Cheek and – in the 80s – her own company RandomPact, that Karen has grown artistically, politically and personally.
These companies were and are made up of artists who strongly believe that culture and creativity should be accessible to and for us all.
As for Shakespeare, now that Karen’s picked it up and had a look…she just might be hooked.
She is thrilled to be working with 1623 on this beautiful new adaptation of The Winter’s Tale.
Oliver Tunstall
he / him
Leontes, Autolycus
Oliver is an actor, director, facilitator, and occasional musician.
Recent acting and directing credits include: The UK Drill Project (Barbican), The Concrete Jungle Book (Artsdepot) Young Othello (Courtyard), Merryville (Latitude), Big Smother (Brixton House), Midsummer Magic (1623 at Glastonbury), Emergency Shakespeare (1623 at National Theatre).
Oliver has also worked at Derby Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Youth Theatre, The Pleasance, Camden People’s Theatre, and Southwark Playhouse.
Elliot Webster-Mockett
he / him
Polixenes, Time
Elliot is a working class, disabled, trans, queer, neurodivergent creative based in Glasgow.
He graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2018 after completing an MMus in Opera at the Alexander Gibson Opera School.
During his time as an opera singer, Elliot sang as a soloist on stages in the UK and internationally.
He took a break from performance work after starting his transition, and began pursuing a career in British Sign Language Interpreting.
Elliot became a registered trainee British Sign Language interpreter this year.
He is delighted to be back on stage and making his acting debut with 1623 theatre company.
Access, creative, marketing and production teams
Georgia Andrews - assistant director, live captioner
Becky Barry - BSL show interpreter
Kim Bormann - movement director
Jamie Brown - producer, sound designer
Nikki Charlesworth - set and costume designer
Lue Douthit - dramaturg
Annessa Dunkley - marketing assistant
Ali Gordon - BSL rehearsal interpreter
Catherine Harmer - stage manager
Jill Henshaw - BSL rehearsal interpreter
Max Marchewicz - BSL rehearsal interpreter
Nadia Nadarajah - BSL consultant
Sam Osbourne - lighting designer
Kat Pearson - BSL rehearsal interpreter
Elvire Roberts - BSL rehearsal interpreter
William Shakespeare - original playwright
Ben Spiller - co-director
Sophie Stone - co-director
Tracy Young - translator playwright