Just when it looked as if spring was 'round the corner for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the first previews of The Winter's Tale have been canceled, and the press night has been moved from April 9 to April 12.
Part of the reason for this delay has been technical. The Company's use of the Roundhouse — which should give this season's Shakespearean productions an immediacy and impact that the company badly needs — is a departure from its old haunt at the Barbican and has meant a lot of work on the building itself.
The other, less predictable cause for delay has been the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The RSC has decided that opening its new London season on the night of her funeral would be in poor taste.
—By Paul Webb Theatrenow
