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Necklace worn by Estelle Kohler

The Winter's Tale, 1999

Director: Gregory Doran

Costume Designer: Robert Jones 

The Winter's Tale is often classed as one of Shakespeare's problem plays. That is a play which cannot be classed as a comedy, tragedy or history. The Winter's Tale includes both comic and tragic elements. The Kingdom of Sicilia is dark and wintry, home to the jealous Leontes. In the Kingdom of Bohemia it is springtime and a love story blossoms.

In this production the costume design and staging emphasised the religious aspects in the play. The set design created a claustrophobic atmosphere at Leontes' court where the walls literally closed in on him in his jealousy. Estelle Kohler played Paulina, a Sicilian noblewoman.