The Vancouverist
  • Home +
    • contact
  • Interviews - news
    • more interviews - news
  • Theatre
    • more theatre
  • Film
    • more film
  • Music
    • more music

Pericles

7/11/2016

 
Picture
photo: David Cooper and Emily Cooper
​PERICLES is the story of a man whose life is vastly altered by a sinful father who beds his beautiful daughter and dares any man to expose his wicked truth.
King Antiochus is the man in question. He challenges his daughter’s young suitors to answer a riddle for a chance at her hand. The answer to the riddle sadistically exposes his sin, and in doing so, places the young men in a frightful position. If they fail to come forth with the answer, they lose her hand. And if they divulge the secret, they lose their heads.
Along comes prince Pericles who not only solves the riddle and answers it openly and honestly, but also manages to escape before Antiochus’s men can find him. Pericles heads out to sea and is the sole survivor of the tempest that wreaks his ship.
He is found on a distant shore and discloses his identity to the king of the land Simonides. Once Pericles regains his strength he jousts for the hand of Simonides’s lovely daughter Thaisa. Pericles wins and he and Thaisa are married and soon expecting a child.
The child is soon to arrive when Pericles receives word that his kingdom is now heirless and his rightful throne will be forfeit unless he returns immediately. He bundles up his wife and they set sail. During the voyage Thaisa gives birth to their daughter Marina, but dies soon after. Thaisa is placed in a wooden box and set to sea.
During the tempest the ship lands in Tharsus where Pericles leaves his daughter to be raised by governor Cleon and his wife Dionyza. Marina grows in to a beauty and overshadows the governor’s daughter so Dionyza has her killed. Pericles eventually returns and is devastated when he hears the tragic news.
This is only a snapshot of a very intricate play. There is more. Much more. It’s almost impossible to summarize in a reasonable number of words, and much more challenging to condense into a two-hour play. This leads us to the director of Pericles, Lois Anderson. Anderson takes a very convoluted play, infuses it with humour, ingenuity, and some wicked choreography, and takes us on a journey where imagination is the key to unlocking the mystery.
The play jumps around a bit, chronologically, and is missing a character or two but who cares. It works, and it works on a grand scale. Anderson’s rendition of Pericles will take you by surprise, in the most amazing way. It may take a couple of minutes to connect to the director’s intensions but when you do, you’re in for a flavourful treat. Carmen Alatorre’s costume design, Malcolm Dow’s incredible sound design that plays like a character on its own, and the dedication of the amazing cast all make this an extraordinary experience. Jeff Gladstone’s performance is worth the price of admission, subtle and understated.
Pericles is a visual event best experienced facing the stage, up high, for the full effect. Regardless, it is sure to please the adventurous and if you are a dreamer like most, you might discover an open door to a more rounded understanding of the Bard.   

Click HERE for tickets and show times.

Comments are closed.

    theatre/
    dance

    Archives

    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    November 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    February 2011
    November 2010
    May 2010

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.