Stage Review Twelfth Night - The RSC 2024/2025
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| Demetri Goritsas (Sir Andrew) Joplin Sibtain (Sir Toby) Daniel Millar (Fabian) |
and forefront, Samuel West (Malvolio)
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre Twelfth Night 2024/2025
Photograph by Helen Murray
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah.A mid-twentieth century setting for this version and though always a challenge to our contemporary culture Twelfth Night still endures as a performance piece.
The play's key themes include disguise, cross dressing, concealment and mistaken identity which brings about the lighter side; the comedy.
The shade, on the other hand, is represented in more serious themes such as the love and devotion of siblings, people's bad behaviour, off-handed meanness and the frustrations of love that goes unrequited.
Overview
Sebastian and Viola are shipwrecked twins at the beginning and are separated and it is the hope of their ultimate reunion that drives the play through. A sea captain points Viola in the direction of Duke Orsino's household.Orsino is miserable that his love for Countess, Olivia is not recipricated and he dwells on Valentine's inability to fulfill a request he made to her. Viola, disguised as a man, (Cesario) is to handle the futility of the situation and act as a go between.
Another Sea Captain, Antonio, who saved Sebastian from drowning, befriends him. Sebastian is bereft as he believes his sister is dead, but is heading her way unknowingly.
Olivia is attracted to Cesario (Viola) and so declares her mourning period for a deceased brother as over. However, the true Viola finds herself falling in love with, Orsino, he, despite his infactuation with Olivia shows affection in return, so there's a love triangle developing.
Sir Andrew is a companion of Olivia's cousin, Sir Toby and is easily led by the drunken and bawdy behaviour of the latter, who has little regard for him really. Later, Sir Andrew is coerced into a fight with Cesario.
Feste is the clown, the entertainer, referred to as the fool, but he is a sharp cookie.
Malvolio of the Olivia household is a proud, snobbish character is not fazed when Olivia's cousin, Sir Toby suggests he's nothing more than a steward. However, Sir Toby, Maria and Fabian, mock him behind his back and concoct a nasty prank, after which Feste shows his mean streak.
The conclusion includes a marriage ceremony conducted by a priest, the reunion of two siblings and of two friends, a love match, comeuppance for individuals and the release of somebody wronged.
Michael Grady-Hall (Feste) adds variety and interest in the part of the jester, he is multi-talented: sings with a rich and steady pitch and whose movement and comic timing is spot on. He also entertains the audience outside of the play, he plays this part so deftly well - Feste is important in this play; a key figure and one of Shakespeare's most popular comedy characters.
Olivia is attracted to Cesario (Viola) and so declares her mourning period for a deceased brother as over. However, the true Viola finds herself falling in love with, Orsino, he, despite his infactuation with Olivia shows affection in return, so there's a love triangle developing.
Sir Andrew is a companion of Olivia's cousin, Sir Toby and is easily led by the drunken and bawdy behaviour of the latter, who has little regard for him really. Later, Sir Andrew is coerced into a fight with Cesario.
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| Michael Grady-Hall (Feste) The Royal Shakespeare Theatre Twelfth Night 2024/2025 |
Photograph by Helen Murray |
Malvolio of the Olivia household is a proud, snobbish character is not fazed when Olivia's cousin, Sir Toby suggests he's nothing more than a steward. However, Sir Toby, Maria and Fabian, mock him behind his back and concoct a nasty prank, after which Feste shows his mean streak.
The conclusion includes a marriage ceremony conducted by a priest, the reunion of two siblings and of two friends, a love match, comeuppance for individuals and the release of somebody wronged.
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| Bally Gill (Orsino) |
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre Twelfth Night 2024/2025
| Photograph by Helen Murray |
Comment
Cast includes 2018 Ian Charleson award-winning actor, Bally Gill, in the role of Orsino. Gill also played dual roles in A Midsummer Night's Dream RSC 2024.Michael Grady-Hall (Feste) adds variety and interest in the part of the jester, he is multi-talented: sings with a rich and steady pitch and whose movement and comic timing is spot on. He also entertains the audience outside of the play, he plays this part so deftly well - Feste is important in this play; a key figure and one of Shakespeare's most popular comedy characters.
Samuel West hits the mark achieving the desired tone attached to Malvolio's exchanges. West plays a 'worked up' Malvolio who has mistaken the fact that Olivia likes him to dress in yellow stockings and black criss crosses etc., and, equally expresses so convincingly, Malvolio's escalating hurt and bitterness of being so publically humilated.
'Tis the season that we see some of the cast making their RSC debuts including Gwyneth Keyworth (Viola) and Freema Agyeman (Olivia), therefore, acknowledging this RSC's Twelfth Night 2024/25 is the celebration of the skills of not just the whole cast but those involved in the production under the superb direction of Puwanarajah.
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| Gwyneth Keyworth (Viola) The Royal Shakespeare Theatre Twelfth Night 2024/2025 Photograph by Helen Murray |
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| Freema Agyeman (Olivia) The Royal Shakespeare Theatre Twelfth Night 2024/2025 Photograph by Helen Murray |
The soundscapes, sound and lighting design and the technical tricks are crucial to the flow of the story. The new music composed by London based artist Matt Maltese, specifically for the Twelfth Night company to perform live, with an exclusive Christmas song as part of the composition overall, is the icing on the cake!
High in its entertainment and amusement this is a perfect Twelfth Night and includes a few festive references and so is a proper treat for culture lovers over the Christmas and New Year run in Stratford Upon Avon.
**ENDS**
Review by theatre critic, Debra Hall who attended the 1.15pm performance of Twelfth Night at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon on Thursday 19 December
REFERENCES
Colville, D. (2022) Feedback to (Debra Hall) assignment TMA02 for A112: Cultures The Open University
Hall, D. (2022) Character Profile in 150 words - Shakespeare's Malvolio (Twelfth Night)
https://notcompulsory.blogspot.com/2022/05/character-profile-in-150-words.html
The Royal Shakespeare Company RSC (2024) What's On https://www.rsc.org.uk/twelfth-night/
The Royal Shakespeare Company RSC (Oct 2024) MATT MALTESE MAKES HIS STAGE COMPOSITION DEBUT FOR THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
The Royal Shakespeare Company RSC (2024) Twelfth Night
printed programme
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