TWELFTH NIGHT. By William Shakespeare. At The Masque Theatre, Cape Town. Director Barbara Basel. Producer Faeron Wheeler. Set design Richard Higgs. Costumes Nicky Enticott. Lighting: Gary Fargher and Gail Duguid Fargher. Sound: Wim Kenis and Mark Mwaba. SHEILA CHISHOLM attended Media night.
Do not be misled by this title, as Shakespeare, for lack of a better choice, used it as a nod to the day Christmas entertainments ceased and everyday business returned.
True? False? Who knows? What is fact is human behaviour hasn’t changed much since 1602 when Shakespeare completed this romantic comedy.
Twelfth Night is a love merry-go-round playing out in Count Orsino’s court in Illyria, its sea coast being Countess Olivia’s home and garden. Cross-dressing and mixed-up identities drive Shakespeare’s skilful work, and a carefully selected (almost) word perfect cast, resolve the complexities of A loving B, B adoring C, and C doting on A, to conclude in an ‘happily ever after’ frame. Unfortunately, centuries after the work’s 1602 premier, people continue taking the Micky out of someone’s non-conformist behaviour.
Witty, sharp tongued
Malvolio (Matthew Kingwill) is the victim here. A servant to Countess Olivia (Tami Schrire), by nature, Malvolio is a joyless Puritan spurning love. However, when witty, sharp tongued Feste (Hannah Molyneux); tipplers’ Sir Toby Belch(ing) (Yuri Behari-Leak); agile, moustached Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Harmonie Mbunga), led by Olivia’s spirited maid Maria (Kathryn Griffiths); trick Malvolio into believing elegant Olivia loves him, he throws away his hypocritical attitudes.
He swops his hose for hideous cross gartered yellow stockings, ruffles his smooth hairdo, and smiling grotesquely begins wooing the way he understood would please his mistress. Olivia, thinking him insane, commits him to a darkened room.
Poor Malvolio. When he discovers the truth, his humiliation goes very deep.
Well-deserved appreciation
Kingwill’s interpretation received well-deserved appreciation, placing him as the central figure in director Barbara Basel’s 1920 setting.
Twelfth Night begins when Viola (Taryn Basel), rescued from the sinking ship also carrying her twin brother Sebastian (Cody Ashton), lands on a city in Illyria. It’s a country governed by Count Orsino (Wayne Ronné) who loves Olivia.
Viola disguising herself as a boy, enters Duke Orsino’s service, and plots, as Cesario, to woo Olivia on Orsino’s behalf. Successful in her advances, Olivia falls for Cesario/Viola, while Viola/Cesario falls for Orsino. When Sebastian – a remarkable look-alike to his sister Viola, unexpectedly returns, he falls instantly in love with Olivia, who mistaking him for Cesario, reciprocates.
Confusion abounds…
Complex as Twelfth Night’s plot is, Richard Higgs split level set, Nicky Enticott’s costumes, and Basel’s excellent direction, cut down the usual identity confusion. In that, perhaps the plot lost some of its punch. Never-the-less, being easy to follow who’s who means The Masque’s production of Twelfth Night, has some good laughs, some familiar quotes and worth being reminded how others see us.
What: Twelfth Night review
When: 5 to 15 July 2023
Where: The Masque Muizenberg Cape Town
Book tickets: Quicket
WS
