REVIEW: Twelfth Night at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon

There can't be a better place to see Shakespeare's plays than Stratford upon Avon. As you walk across the park through the trees along the river towards the RSC's home you can't help reflect that this beautiful town was his birthplace and a perfect historical home for his plays. The Royal Shakespeare theatre reopened in 2010 with a complete remodelling of the interior into a thrust stage creating a more intimate space and it provides an excellent setting for this production of Twelfth Night.

The sumptuous set is designed by Simon Higlett and draws inspiration from the Arts and Craft movement, the art of Audrey Beardsley and William Morris and creates a strong Victorian period feel. This is intermingled with period influences from Oscar Wilde, Queen Victoria's servant Abdul and Gilbert and Sullivan. In this context the transposition of the play from Illyria to a country house in Victorian England works with Feste, Viola and Sebastian becoming Indian servants, Orsino an artist and Malvolio, at times a character from comic opera. The whole setting is enhanced by Tim Mitchell's subtle atmospheric lighting and Nigel Hess's music.

REVIEW: Twelfth Night at the Space Theatre

The intimate surroundings of this converted church is a perfect setting for Pell Mell’s production of Twelfth Night, allowing the audience to feel as though they are intimately involved with the events in the play.

Set in and around a Victorian music hall, this production combine’s dance with circus acts that can be distracting to watch and makes certain sequences such as the opening scene feel overly long and unnecessary – despite how creative it is.  The dance opening the play although well choreographed feels out of place in this Shakespeare play.

However because of the intimate nature of the production, it allows the audience to purely focus on the characters and what is happening. But director Natalie York has also added a darker element to the play that changes the perspective thanks to the circus setting – scenes such as when Malvolio is being taunted by Maria, Sir Toby and others bring to mind bear baiting and other similar activities which adds a cruel streak, making it hard to watch at times.

FULL CAST announced for Twelfth Night at the Sheffield Crucible, then touring the UK

Director: Jonathan Munby; Designer: Colin Richmond; Lighting Designer: Chris Davey; Sound Designer:  Carolyn Downing; Composer: Grant Olding; Movement Director: Lucy Hind

Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre today announce the full cast for their co-production ofTwelfth Night. Jonathan Munby directs Michael Benz (Sebastian), Christopher Chilton (Sea Captain/Priest), Jonathan Christie (Valentine/Officer 2), Doña Croll (Maria), Jake Fairbrother (Duke Orsino), David Fielder (Sir Toby Belch), Colm Gormley (Fabian), Ben Hall (Curio/Officer 1), Rebecca Johnson (Olivia), Brian Protheroe (Feste), Rose Reynolds (Viola), Hugh Ross (Malvolio), Milo Twomey(Sir Andrew Aguecheek), and Ross Waiton (Antonio).