Twelfth Night**

Non-Professional

11^th September 2019

Wyllyotts Theatre

Rating: 4 Stars

As the lights dimmed in this truly beautiful auditorium and the band struck up their first chords, one

thing went through my mind……….

Thank god this isn’t a tribute act. There seems to be a curse corrupting local theatres, where every other show is either a knock off tribute act or a pantomime. Harry Harding’s psychedelic production of ‘Twelfth Night’ is a welcome breath of fresh air in the drudgery of contemporary theatre programming.  Shakespeare’s tale of separation, tom foolery, mistaken identity, unrequited love and unburdened passion is one which has had more reincarnations than I have had hot dinners (and trust me I’ve had a lot of hot dinners!). To his credit Harding works hard to provide his audience with something they won’t have seen before. Choosing to make the time period of his piece ambiguous, the audience are instead assailed by bright lights, bold colours and a pleasing score of classical music.  There is something almost ‘Alice in Wonderland’ meets 1960’s Hollywood about the whole affair.



For those of you unfamiliar with this tale, allow me to enlighten you. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I will begin.

Brother and sister, Viola and Sebastian, are separated by a freak storm. Shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria both think the other dead and venture out on their own journey’s. Disguising herself as a boy, Viola becomes a servant of the lovesick Count Orsino and inevitably ends up falling desperately in love with him. Meanwhile, heartbroken by his sisters supposed death, Sebastian finds himself in the company under the protection of the pirate Antonio. Together they begin their travels through Illyria. Close by, but currently separate from all this action is the object of Count Orsinos affections Olivia. Surrounded by her household of loyal servants and foolish relations, Olivia has sealed herself away from the Counts affections in morning for her brothers recent death. However when she comes face to face with the freshly disguised Viola emotions run high and madness ensues. Still with me? Good!

Hardings style certainly matches the flamboyant insanity of the Bards text, but what about the acting? I must confess that this the first non-professional show that I have reviewed, so I was prepared to make some allowances. However, from an acting standpoint this show stands up better than some professional performances I have witnessed. From the first scene it was clear that every actor understood the meaning behind every line, right down to the last word. As a result the play was opened up to the audience, and we were able to connect with the performance a lot easier. Although this may sound like the bare minimal of professionalism, it is shocking how few companies master this in their performances. Everyone of Hardings cast deserves commendation for their mastery of the text, but particular praise must be given to Catherine Littles portrayal of Feste. As Olivia’s fool, Little has one of the most challenging roles within the play. Shakespeares fools are by far his most intelligent of his characters, regularly mocking the foolishness of their superiors, therefore it is important that whoever undertakes this role not only understands the text but could also speak it backwards. Little succeeds beautifully in creating a sharp tongued, and quick-witted Feste, whose poetic jabs at her superiors enhance the enjoyable madness.

Little certainly sets a high standard, but it’s a standard that the other performers are more than capable of meeting. Lorraine Bottomley plays a wonderfully glamorous Olivia, beginning the performance as a reserved Hollywood recluse before emerging as a sexually charged bombshell. There are definitely hints of both Norma Desmond and Maryline Monroe in Bottomley’s Olivia, so much so that one cannot help but feel sorry for Ryan Roedling’s sweetly awkward Sebastian. When  Sebastian is mistaken for the disguised  Viola, the scene is akin to a lioness stalking its prey. The chemistry between the characters is thoroughly enjoyable. Roedling’s beta male frequently earns a rueful chuckle, whilst Andrew Bowdens foppish Orsino is hilariously cringeworthy in his failed seduction attempts.

Hilarity comes in many guises throughout Hardings production, but nowhere is more prominent than in the roles of the side characters. Olivias cousin Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek and the wise serving woman Maria are often the highlight of many ‘Twelfth Night’ productions, and here is no exception. Nick Vause offers us a wonderfully decrepit lecherous Sir Toby, whose comedic skills are perfectly complimented by Max Lloyds Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Lloyds elastic face and flamboyant portrayal makes him an ideal comic foil for Vause. Drink, scheming and foolery mean that this duo never fail to create a stir. It would take a strong woman indeed to rein them in. Fortunately Vicky Absolon is one of the strongest Maria’s I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. Her working class, no nonsense swagger is a joy to behold. When all three of these characters come together hilarity is guaranteed. Even the two smaller characters of Fabia and Valentine are not forgotten. Dawn Travell (Fabia) and Helen Green (Valentine) give their characters all the necessary exasperation to highlight the foolishness of their respective masters.

However the stars of the show are undoubtably the remaining female characters. Francesca Wilkinson shows a maturity beyond her years in her portrayal of Viola, effortlessly flitting between an innocent girl fresh with the pain of her brothers death, a young serving ‘boy’ helpless in an unfamiliar world and a love sick woman. There is an extraordinary amount of truth in Wilkinsons performance, so much so that it would be hard to pick a particular moment to focus on. The scene where she weeps over her brothers ‘death’ or the moment of bewilderment when she receives a ring from her lady admirer Olivia (arguably one of Shakespeares most famous scenes and performed beautifully here) are both truly memorable moments. However the scene which showcases Wilkinsons skills to the fullest is the scene where she and Orsino listen to Feste’s music. Here the two become awkward young lovers, trying to feel their way through unfamiliar emotions. It is awkward and adorable in all the right ways.

Harding makes a brave choice with his final two castings. This is the first time I have seen a production of ‘Twelfth Night’ where both Malvolio and Antonio are played by women, and I can honestly say that they were two of the best portrayals I have seen (and that is including Sir Derek Jacobi’s portrayal of Malvolio). Malvolio, or Malvolia in this instance, was expertly portrayed Lillie Prowse. Her take on this classic character was pure pomposity, from the moment we see her we are hoping for her demise. As a result the scene where Sir Andrew, Toby and Fabia convince Malvolia that Olivia harbours secret feelings for her is pure magic to watch. We revel as the characters pride blinds her to the truth, and her reappearance in the second act clad in not only yellow stockings but also giant feathers is pure brilliance. If the characters development ended here then Prowse’s performance could be described as exceptionally good, but once again the audience is pleasantly surprised. In her final two scenes, Prowse plays her characters down fall with brutal harshness. When we see her locked up as a mad woman, we feel truly sorry for her. Her pleas to Feste for help seem completely heart felt, and the inspired movement of both character holding hands is a testament to both Hardings directing and Prowse’s performing abilities. I have never seen the role played in such a pitiful way, and it is brilliant.

Last but by no means least we have Jessica Anne’s take on the role of Antonia. This is living proof that there is no such thing as small roles, just small performers. With only a handful of scenes, Anne shows herself as a first class performer. She is quiet simply powerful, captivating and funny. Her ability to command a stage is a wonderful contrast to the intended awkwardness of Sebastian, and the use of the opening bars of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ theme is a brave but fitting introduction to the her character. Together these three women are ones to watch out for in the industry.

Hardings ‘Twelfth Night’ has undoubtedly had a lot of time and effort put into it, but despite all my praise it is not a perfect performance. As a non-professional show it suffers from a few common problems, the first and most glaring of which was certain performers projection. Maybe I am a bit harsh, but I cannot forgive a performer who lacks the vocal ability to be heard on stage. Unfortunately the male members of the cast suffered from this greatly, and this was only further compounded by the use of a live band. Although in some cases the underscoring of scenes with live music worked beautifully (the opening scene was a prime example), at times it only served to drown out the actors. A faulty microphone also hampered Littles attempts to sing Feste’s songs. Pacing also quickly became a second fundamental issue. As much as I enjoyed the characters of Sir Andrew and Toby their first scene together felt hopelessly rushed, whilst other scenes like the finale were extremely drawn out. Shakespeare was a master of tying up loose ends in his plays, but when these scenes aren’t paced properly one’s attention tends to wander off to thoughts of the nearest pub.


However with this said pacing in Shakespeare is no easy feat to master, and even the greatest of directors/performers can miss their mark on occasions. Readers of review should note that I saw this performance on its opening night, so a lot of these criticisms could be marked under opening night nerves and mishaps. Regardless the plays ending of a high energy cast dance, complete with balloons and glitter soon made one forget about any quibbles.

This production of ‘Twelfth Night’ may be non-professional, but it is a highly enjoyable classic comedy which is open to everyone. I admire Harding immensely for creating a performance which can be enjoyed by Shakespeare lovers both old and new. Our local theatres need more of these performances, and I will always continue to support their development. It also stands as proof that a non-professional production can still be good, and even raise the bar for professional productions. Harding ‘Twelfth Night’ is an exceptional non-professional production, with healthy amounts of professionalism.