Twelfth Night is one of my favourite Shakespearean plays, both for its classic case of mistaken identity and its subversive commentary on the fluidity of gender. Above all else, this is a story about sisters mourning the lost bond with their brothers: Viola grieving for Sebastian, and Olivia grieving for her unnamed brother. Both of them are so deep in their grief it causes them to form tunnel vision on who might replace that love. Viola becomes deeply enthralled with Orsino, while Olivia falls for Viola in disguise as Cesario. Confused? If you don’t already know the basic plot of this show I recommend you do just a tiny bit of reading online before you arrive, or at the very least pick up a programme from the box office and make use of the handy visual relationship chart included inside. 

This production manages to breathe new life into the old text and give it a feeling of freshness; it feels especially suitable to be included in the first year of programming in The Court’s new inner city building. A wonderful tip of the hat to hundreds of years of theatre history, wrapped up in modern sensibilities and delivered with a bow.

The set, by Mark McEntyre, is gorgeous in its simplicity and delicately transforms through a clever use of wheeled seats and flowing curtains. This means that scene transitions are swift and smooth, which is a joy and protects the pace of the play. Tim Bugden’s sound and AV design work is excellent. The projections of the crashing waves at the opening of the show are breathtaking and the trees introduced later are a wonderful touch. 

Jenny Ritchie has designed some of the most beautiful and striking costumes I’ve ever seen at The Court and I firmly applaud her terrific use of colour, texture and fabric choices. The costumes create a couture rainbow across the stage and evoke specific personality traits of each character. What’s more, everything feels contemporary and heightened; it is inspired work. 

The pace of the show overall is very good, though there are small moments in both acts where things start to drag a little and I find the intermission unnecessarily long too. I would love to see about ten minutes shaved off the run-time. 

The use of Hester Ullyart’s original compositions throughout the show adds a lovely layer of ethereal colour and texture to the show; early on there is an absolutely magical moment between Duke Orsino and Cesario which is beautifully underscored by the song unfolding in front of us. I could feel the heat even all the way at the back of the stalls. Unfortunately, not all of the musical moments have the same impact on the plot development and I struggle to understand the relevance of every single one.

Victoria Abbott gives a standout performance. As Viola/Cesario she is the beating heart of this story and the most innately watchable in this ensemble. Her wide-eyed eagerness is magnetic and her command of the text very natural in its flow and delivery. Emma Katene as Olivia and James Kupa as Orsino provide beautifully grounded and nuanced portrayals of pining, lovesick individuals. Jonathan Hendry is magnificent as Malvolio and leaves a lasting impression on me long after leaving the theatre.

Alison Walls has directed a production which flips between two sides of a coin: the melancholy, serious, romantic pining of the Orsino/Olivia/Cesario love triangle, and the larger than life comedy of Maria/Toby/Andrew. I’m not sure I entirely understand the distinct tonal shift, as some of the comedy scenes border on feeling like an episode of Scooby Doo. At times, it feels like two different plays being performed simultaneously. But maybe that is the point? Perhaps that was what Shakespeare was going for: slings and arrows of misfortune and infatuation, contrasted by slapstick gags and hearty laughs… how else can you start a show with such tragedy and end with three happy couples?

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