The Winter's Tale, Theatre Royal Winchester

WHAT could be stranger than The Winter's Tale?

A childhood friendship between two kings is destroyed when one suspects the other of making his wife pregnant.

The queen is then tried and imprisoned on a jealous falsehood. The subsequent grief kills the royal couple's son and when the new baby is born it is sent away to a far flung island, inducing the death of its mother.

Sixteen years later and reconciliation comes when the abandoned baby, now a woman, falls in love with a farm hand who turns out to be the lost son of the wronged king.

Through much dancing and joviality all families are eventually reunited and a memorial statue of the late queen magically comes back to life to be with her king. Confused?

Shakespeare's enduring fairy tale begs explanation but needs none. It is pure abandonment of all reality.

Brought to the stage by Compass Theatre Company and directed by Neil Sissons, this play is laced with comedy to lighten the dark goings on and the grief that befalls its characters.

Superbly acted by a cast of seven, this play must surely be a test of any actor's ability.

The pace though is maintained throughout through some audience interaction.

Performances of note come from Roger Bingham as Camillo and Simon Harvey as Antigonous and the Clown.

Until May 24.