Interview: Michael Mears on THE WINTER’S TALE as part of SHAKE Festival

As part of SHAKE Festival, a fully rehearsed livestreamed reading of The Winter’s Tale will be shown online on 31 July, directed by Jenny Hall and performed from an empty London theatre.

Ahead of this one-night-only performance, we spoke to Michael Mears who plays Antigonus in the piece.

How are you and how have you found the last 16 months, on a personal and professional level?

I am fine, I am now double-jabbed, and have been in pretty good health generally touch wood, but otherwise it’s been extremely challenging, particularly as at this time I have found myself living alone for the first time in many years. So, I’ve been doing absolutely everything, shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundering, hanging up the laundering, you name it, without the opportunity of going out to my lovely local cafes and restaurants to let someone else do the cooking for a change! All this while trying to remain creative and active – while there has been almost no professional acting work to be had – though things are picking up a little now, fortunately. I’ve created some online projects of my own, but what I’ve missed the most is being in the rehearsal room with other actors and creatives, rehearsing a play, and then of course the buzz of live performance. However, like most people, I have watched the vast amounts of TV and film during the pandemic, and this has been not only entertaining but very instructive – a chance to take a really close look at what constitutes the finest screen acting. One never stops learning – hopefully!

This online performance of The Winter’s Tale is being presented as a rehearsed reading. Can you explain the concept of this?

We rehearse the play on Zoom two or more times a week, so we become very familiar with it and with each other’s performances, but unlike being on stage for a live performance, there is no need to ‘go to the final mile’ and learn our parts by heart – though there’s nothing stopping us doing that if we wish! During the livestream performances no scripts will be visible… so in fact it will seem as if we have learned our parts by heart! What audiences will see and hear is a very direct rendition of a great Shakespeare play, beamed right into their living rooms!

Tell us about your character, Antigonus.

Antigonus is a long-time courtier and trusted member of King Leontes’ Sicilian court. He is a loyal and devoted ma, a protector and advisor to the King, but he is shocked by the sudden change in behaviour of the young King and is forced to ‘speak truth to power’ – which is one of the themes and strands in this play: how do you get a ruler to change their behaviour when you believe, indeed, when it is beyond doubt that they are completely on the wrong track? Modern parallels with leaders of certain nations abound, particularly in the very recent past. Antigonus is then called upon by the King to carry out a difficult task, if he wants to save his own and his wife Paulina’s life. The scene in which Antigonus carries out this task gives rise to one of the most famous stage directions in all of Shakespeare – ‘Exit Antigonus, pursued by a bear.’ I won’t offer any spoilers to those who don’t know the play – but tune in on 31 July to find out whether Antigonus survives this encounter.

This is a livestreamed, one time only event. Do you feel added pressure because of this or do you feel at home with the live nature of it?

Myself, I don’t feel added pressure, as live theatre performance is what my career has predominantly consisted of - I love it – and though, yes, sometimes one has to deal with a few nerves, there’s something very special about it. Performing a piece live can give you an extra edge, an extra sharpness and focus. Of course, with this online livestream event on isn’t in the same room as the audience so it’s a little different. But one will still be able to sense them there…

Had you tuned into any of the previous Shake Festival performances?

I was aware of what SHAKE Festival was up to but hadn’t got around to tuning in. I was very excited to be asked to take part in this production, particularly as the plays are directed by Jennifer Caron Hall – daughter of Sir Peter Hall, with whom I was fortunate to work with towards the end of his career on four Shakespeare plays. I feel the baton is being passed on, and Shakespeare is in safe hands with Jennifer!

You have performed a lot of Shakespeare throughout your career. Do you have a favourite play?

It’s hard to choose – but my favourite three are probably Hamlet, King Lear and Twelfth Night. I have played Malvolio three times in Twelfth Night (I feel it’s a part made for me). I played it once in Youth Theatre, aged 18, and then twice professionally. On one of those occasions, I was doubling the role with the part of Orsino, who has the famous opening line, ‘If music be the food of love, play on…’

And, talking about live performance again, as well as the magic of it, there are also pitfalls in that sometimes an audience will be very vocal – and not always in the right way. I remember one schools’ performance of Twelfth Night where just as the lights came up at the start of the play and I, as Orsino, was about to say the opening line, I heard, clear as a bell, a teenage girl in the audience say, ‘Errgh! He’s horrible!’ I had to swallow my pride, keep calm and carry on!

Are there any plans for the reading to be developed into a full stage performance?

Not that I’m aware of – but you never know in this business!

How would you encourage audiences to book a ticket for The Winter’s Tale?

It’s a beautiful play that takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions headings towards tragedy but then veers away from it – to something far more uplifting and life-affirming. The Winter’s Tale is a late Shakespeare play and it’s a gem, but not performed that often, so this is a wonderful opportunity for audiences to experience it – in a vibrant performance given by an excellent cast including past, present (and hopefully future!) members of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Featuring Kings, Princes, Clowns and Shepherds, what more could anyone want – not forgetting of course the brief but crucial appearance by a bear!

For more information and to book tickets for The Winter’s Tale on 31 July, please click here.