Each year the Riverside Players get together to stage and perform a major production in just two weeks. This year their 49th, and their ninth in the grounds of Pangbourne College they have set themselves, and the audience, a considerable challenge in opting for Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale (until tomorrow).

Director Andrew Whiffin has given the production a Victorian setting, in order to contrast the relative freedom of the younger aristocracy with the excessive propriety of the middle-aged. This is reflected in a stern Leontes (Colin Burnie), a king whose harsh demenour is barely softened by his love for his young son, and who is convincingly diminished by his all-consuming jealousy. His imagined rival Polixenes (Jeff Freeman) also displays something of the cruelty of the traditional Victorian father when confronted with his son's beloved Perdita (Heather Saunders). Claire Taeger meanwhile turns in an outstanding performance as Paulina, a formidable lady with a fine howl of rage at her disposal as she berates Leontes for his treatment of his wife.

Outdoor Shakespeare in a rural setting has certain advantages over Oxford's college gardens. The sheep-shearing feast comes complete with a pen of sheep happily munching the Pangbourne lawns, along with the slightly reluctant appearance of a pleasant looking dog called Holly.

John Stephenson's ingenious revolving set, which has Leontes' palace back to back with a rustic cottage is a masterpiece of construction. On the other hand, the fortnight's time-limit seems to have inhibited some of the actors. There was more use of the prompt on the first night than I remember from previous productions, and at times some of the cast lost their battle with the language of this late play.

Alas, I didn't get to see what they made of the final statue scene. After nearly three hours, the unusual sensation of frozen legs combined with killer midges round the head led me and a number of other cowardly mortals to seek refuge indoors. A few judicious cuts next time, perhaps?