After having lunch in the café in the lobby of the Tom Patterson Theatre we settled in to enjoy one of Shakespeare’s plays that I have not read – Cymbeline. It’s always a treat to see something new, especially with such a favourite as Lucy Peacock in the lead role.
The plot is convoluted with lots of twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities. In England Queen Cymbeline is furious that her daughter Innogen has married Posthumous, a low born ward of the court, and banishes him. Cymbeline’s husband, the Duke, schemes for Innogen to marry his son. Posthumous ends up in Rome and a nobleman, Iachimo, wagers that he can prove Innogen is not true to Posthumous. Innogen ends up disguised as Fidele, a young man who gets lost in the forest and taken in by cave dwellers. Posthumous disguises himself as a British peasant during a war between Britain and Rome…
Helping to keep up with all the plot twists are the costumes which are gorgeous and lend authenticity to the time period.
Cymbeline | Stratford Festival playing at the Tom Patterson Theatre until September 28, 2024
