In the gorgeous setting of the Rose Garden at St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Melbourne Shakespeare Company delights with the merry mayhem of Twelfth Night.
A perfect fit for a rollicking outdoor production, though one not seen all that often, Twelfth Night centres upon a tale of mistaken identity that is just as amusing as the deliberately zany machinations of the household staff and local nobles.
Shipwrecked on the coast of ‘Straya and mourning the loss of her twin brother, Viola takes on the guise of page Cesario, emissary of written professions of love from Duke Orsino to the countess Olivia. All too soon, Olivia loves “Cesario” and Viola loves Orsino, making a perfect love triangle between the three.
Meanwhile, annoyed by the steward Malvolio, an amusingly unlikely gaggle of courtiers and servants conspire to convince the thin-lipped steward (played here as a female character) that Olivia is in love with her.
Working with a multi-talented troupe of 13 players, director Jennifer Sarah Dean imparts an air of breathless spontaneity to proceedings; the condensed 100-minute version practically flies by. Physical humour is well judged and carries a strong sense of improvisation and naturally unfolding chaos. A couple of male characters are swapped to female with natural simplicity.
The pleasure of the beautiful surroundings is matched by the enjoyment of hearing a completely acoustic performance from actors who possess the fast disappearing art of vocal projection. With no wings to the main stage area, Dean makes strong use of the space by having actors pass by in the background completely in character, adding to the sense of an immersive story that is unfolding organically.
As befits the quote “If music be the food of love, play on”, the production is filled with love-themed pop songs, which are woven into the story in the similarly amusing way as in Moulin Rouge and & Juliet. “When A Man Loves A Woman” is something of a recurring theme, and “Shut Up and Dance” makes for a rousing finale. In the strongest musical sequence, Olivia, Orsino, and Viola (disguised as Cesario) stand in a physical representation of their love triangle, each lost in their own world as they croon “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
Musical director David Youings brings these songs to fresh life using just one guitar, with all other backing provided by toe-tapping a cappella stylings from the cast. Choreographer Callum Marshall definitely matches the upbeat vibe with well rehearsed full company moves that still have a spontaneous edge to them.
Costume designer Cortnee Jarvis provides comfortable, handsome costumes adorned with the traditional, and very helpful, lapels bearing character names. Set designer Ishan Vivekanatham needs to do little more than let the beauty of the surroundings speak for itself, but attractively furnishes a central portico that houses many a costume, prop, or character surprise
Blessed with an open face and warmly engaging presence, Stephanie Astrid John anchors Twelfth Night as the increasingly fraught Viola / Cesario.
Maxwell Simon makes for a devilishly charming Orsino, casually impervious to the fast growing affection of Viola. Simon displays further talent, accompanying a song or two on the guitar.
With the winsome grace of a Disney princess, Claire Warrillow demurely holds court as the fair Olivia.
Billy Thomas provides excellent guitar accompaniment as a roving musician before eventually assuming his featured role of Sebastian, extraordinarily identical twin to “Cesario.”
Seasoned actress Laura Iris Hill is an absolute gift to the comedy as cantankerous Malvolio, playing her scenes utterly straight so as to perfectly complement and offset the surrounding shenanigans.
The accomplished cast is completed by Emma Austin (Captain Valentine), Teresa Giansiracusa (Fabian), Joshua Gordon (Feste), Lucy May Knight (Curio), Sebastian Li (Sir Andrew), Sonya Suares (Maria), Jacqueline Whiting (Antonio), and Karlis Zaid (Sir Toby).
Ideal family entertainment in an idyllic setting, Twelfth Night is particularly well suited as an appealing and readily accessible introduction to the pleasures of Shakespeare.
Twelfth Night plays at St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Melbourne until 22 December 2024. For tickets, click here.
Photos: Nick Robertson from NickMickPics