Drama Barn: Twelfth Night

A challenging issue that all directors face when attemptingto stage a Shakespeare production lies in the complicated text itself. I have witnessed enactments of Shakespeare, both professional and amateur, which are more akin to a poetry recital than being a play with any clear meaning or cogency. This is because, as a result of the weight and status Shakespearian works hold in our society, the Bard’s plays have the potential to be somewhatof a trap. Productions are staged where performers are more concerned with proving themselves as thespians; focussing more on their annunciation of the play’s lengthy monologues than actual characterisation or conveying of the plot to the audience.

I am sure this was something that both the director (Catherine Gobert-Jones) and the entire cast were acutely aware of when preparing Twelfth Night. It is one of Shakespeare’s more famous plays and its wit and humour can easily be taken for granted. Thankfully Gobert-Jones ensured that it was not and did a fantastic job, focusing enough attention to individual characters and opting to place the play in a more contemporary setting.

The decision to set Twelfth Night during WWI breathed originality and freshness into the play which may have been otherwise lacking. It also facilitated the creation of an interesting set, which made good use of the small space available in the Drama Barn. The staged juxtaposition of Orsino’s stuffy office clad in darker colours with the airy, light feel of Lady Olivia’s garden was an excellent choice. I especially liked the suitable use of the balcony as Malvolio’s cellar. This set up another interesting contrast as Feste mocked Malvolio’s insanity jovially from the sunlit and open gardens while Malvolio replied ominously from above in his dark chamber of containment.

The use of lighting was solid and conventional, but the play itself doesn’t really offer any scenes which require anything out of the ordinary. The use of spotlighting when letter reading occurred was a good choice, and I thoroughly enjoyed the theatrical nature in which the letters were orated.

The only real weakness that came in tonight’s performance was really out of the casts control. There were a few times where lighting was notably delayed, such as spotlights, and I felt some of the blackouts were too sudden. Also, the production team seemed to have opted to have the music cut abruptly rather than fade quietly out, which took some ofthe magic out of the play and reminded us that a scene transition was occurring.

Performances from all cast members were strong, and I struggled to find a weak link among them. Of particular note was Peter Marshall’s picture of a rather menacing Malvolio, effortlessly conveying the character as both villain and victim simultaneously, invoking distrust and pity in equal measure. The love triangle of the Lord Orsino (Ross Cronshaw), the Dame Olivia (Helen Peatfield) and Viola/Cesario (Catherine Bennett) was wonderfully expressed. The contrasting nature of Olivia and Viola’s love was solidified by excellent performances; Bennett articulated sincerity and understatement in her act while Peatfield’s utterances were usually much more exuberant and loud. Both expressions of love felt genuine which reflected a real sense of passion embodied by all members of the cast.

For me the highlight of the show was the interaction between Sir Andrew (Richard Spears), Sir Toby (Toby King) and Feste (Laura Griffin). There was good chemistry between them and their depiction of each of the characters was impressive. I especially enjoyed Toby’s portrayal of… Toby. He added a distinct personality and eccentricity to what could have just as easily been played as a drunken foolish old man. Laura Griffin must be commended for her part as the court jester which seemed incredibly difficult and widely ranging. She tackled his varying roles and duplicitous personality with enough conviction that the charm of the character was communicated with ease.

There were, however, fleeting moment of fragility and fallibility; namely line slippages and a faltering in confidence at times for some of the actors. Nevertheless, these were too brief to really be a detriment to the fantastic performance of all contributors.

So, to conclude, this play was most certainly not one where the cast had been hopelessly bogged down in the intricacies of Shakespeare’s text. Conversely, the importance laid on the characterisation and storytelling led to a strong and well-directed version of Twelfth Night. I shall end on a pathetically terrible pun that the Bard himself would shudder at; As You Like It, Twelfth Night was not a Comedy of Errors but definitely a spectacle worthy of your attention.