CYMBELINE

In a kind of romantic fairy tale set during pagan Britain's conflicts with the Roman empire, a banished husband bets a rogue that his virtuous wife, Imogen. cannot be seduced. Imogen indeed rebuffs the rogue, who resorts to trickery to win his bet. A late play (c. 1610), CYMBELINE is not an audience favorite, despite some fine songs and poetry. The energetic Arkangel cast, striving successfully for clarity and drama, does not possess sufficient personality to compensate for the play's deficiencies of consistency and characterization. The production is perhaps more useful to the Shakespearean student than it is enjoyable for the Shakespearean listener. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]