Enchanting Twelfth Night!
“Make me a willow cabin at your gate
And call upon my soul within the house,
Write loyal cantons of contemnèd love
And sing them loud even in the dead of night,”
Viola as Cesario
I don’t find it necessary for there to be a new interpretation of a Shakespeare play for me to enjoy it. However, occasionally there is directorial vision and brilliance which is the case with Tom Littler’s Twelfth Night at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond. The play is staged with freshness and a difference of emphasis.
Orsino (Tom Kanji)’s relationship with Cesario (Patricia Allison) takes a back seat and instead we concentrate on Olivia (Dorothea Myer-Bennett) ‘s falling for Cesario. Myer-Bennett has the making of a really great actor in her natural interpretation of a woman beside herself with infatuation, commanding small gestures of subtle expression.
The opening sees the cast in Victorian funeral weeds enter and walk round the piano played by Feste (Stefan Bednarczyk). The piano sits on a clock in polished copper on the stage floor. The programme reminds us that not only is Olivia in mourning for her brother and her father, but so too are Viola (Patricia Allison) and Sebastian (Tyler-Jo Richardson), each thinking their twin has perished. Church bells ring solemnly. Olivia’s steward, Malvolio (Oliver Ford-Davies)’s bowler hat is pulled down so his ears stick out as he walks with a cane and looks faintly ridiculous.
Olivia walks by as Orsino (Tom Kanji) discusses her. A difference of emphasis in Tom Littler’s production is the passages I have often found tedious to do with Sir Toby Belch (an amiable Clive Francis). I always like Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Robert Mountford) who is duped by Sir Toby into being a potential husband for Olivia, because of his capering, his modesty and the evocative line, “But I was once adored too.” Here Sir Toby is more likeable and less of a boor and his scenes are animated by Jane Asher’s Maria whose natural accent has been toned down towards Estuary English.
Aguecheek in red socks and black and white patent spats dances the Galliard splendidly with Sir Toby as his partner. Oliver Ford Davies’ Malvolio has no redeeming features and is dislikeable. Patricia Allison’s Viola/Cesario speaks the verse perfectly and when we cut to the scene with her twin Sebastian and Antonio the sea captain (Corey Montague-Sholay) we marvel at the physical similarity of the twins: same facial profile, same hairstyle, same clothes, just a shift of vocal difference as Sebastian’s register is deeper.
Twelfth Night has more songs and music in it than Shakespeare’s earlier comedies and the piano here stays centre stage for Feste to play and sing. There is Sir Toby’s comic “Hold thy peace!” with its homophonic joke before the mournful “Come away, come away, death, /And in sad cypress let me be laid. /Fly away, fly away, breath,
/I am slain by a fair cruel maid.” from Feste. As Malvolio is caught by Maria’s letter there are comic interjections explaining the word slough or Slough.
After the interval, Malvolio appears in his yellow, cross gartered stockings and Olivia says, “I pity you”. Sir Toby is given Fabian’s lines about “an icicle hanging on a Dutchman’s beard” as to how large a hole Malvolio is digging for himself in his employer’s worth. Malvolio chases Olivia round the piano before Maria speaks Fabian’s line, “ If this were played upon a stage now, I could
condemn it as an improbable fiction.” which gets the second loudest laugh of the night for its theatrical reference.
There is more great comedy with Cesario being challenged by Aguecheek and Sebastian finishing off the duel. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew come back prepared and wearing Dad’s Army helmets. In anticipation, Olivia dons a wedding frock much to our amusement but the best laugh of the night is her first sight of both twins. “Most wonderful!” Myers-Bennett drawls seductively.
The dark Victorian costume design works well with men in pinstripes and patent shoes, the black baby grand piano dominating the revolving set. Above the stage are the names of the fallen from the two world wars and the implication is that this is 1946 and a period of mourning. I need to see Tom Littler directing more Shakespeare for his inventive approach and superb casting. Patricia Allison is an exciting new star and Dorothea Myers-Bennet could be destined for a dramatic honour.
I have enjoyed the comedy in this Twelfth Night much more than in the past and really like the change of focus away from Orsino towards Olivia. Five stars from Theatrevibe, the theatre site that doesn’t do stars!
Editor of TheatreVibe.co.uk
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Production Notes
Twelfth Night
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Tom Littler
Cast
Starring:
Jane Asher
Oliver Ford Davies
Dorothea Myer-Bennett
Patricia Allison
Stefan Bednarczyk
Tom Kanji
Clive Francis
Robert Mountford
Tyler-Jo Richardson
Corey Montague-Sholay
Creatives
Director: Tom Littler
Designers: Anett Black and Neil Irish`
Composer: Stefan Bednarczyk
Lighting Designer: William Reynolds
Sound Designer: Matt Eaton
Movement: Julia Cave
Fight Director: Philip d’Orleans
Information
Running Time: Two hours 50 minutes including an interval
Booking to 25th January 2025
Theatre:
Orange Tree Theatre
Rail/Tube: Richmond
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge
at the Orange Tree
on 29th November 2024
