On October 30th, Chloe was a very lucky girl- a very lucky girl indeed. That day, I travelled to Stratford-Upon-Avon (the birthplace of Shakespeare), and got to watch a production of the classic Jacobean comedy 'Twelfth Night', performed by The Royal Shakespeare Company. Although I had watched productions of Shakespeare previously- and performed in some myself- I was a RSC virgin, so I was extremely excited. For those who don't know 'Twelfth Night' or 'What You Will', the basic story is this: twins Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked in the strange, exotic land of Illyria, both thinking that the other has died. In order to get places in this new country, Viola dresses in a cunning disguise, posing as a man called Cesario, becoming servant and peer to the Duke Orsino. Orsino, who utters the famous line "if music be the food of love, then play on", is madly in love with Olivia, a beautiful yet frightfully morbid woman, to the point of obsession. Then it all gets very confusing as each character falls in love with each other. Oh and it involves a rather fetching pair of yellow stockings.
This particular production featured Richard Wilson, an acting veteran most famous for his role as Victor Meldrew in 'One Foot In The Grave'. For those who have no idea what that is, shall I utter his infamous catchphrase: "I DON'T BLOODY BELIEVE IT!". Whilst getting an ill-favoured reception from cut-throat theatre critics who would probably have slammed Shakespeare himself, I believe Wilson's performance was absolutely superb. He played Malvolio- the solemn, sneering servant of Olivia, who is tricked into wearing yellow stockings. To see a RADA trained, respectable actor like Richard Wilson running around the stage in a pair of egg yolk coloured stockings with a demonic smile... well, let's just say it's a sight I shall never forget.
As for the rest of the cast they acted brilliantly. Nancy Carroll played Viola and whilst playing perhaps the most feminine male I have ever seen, her performance was both entertaining and inspiring. However, the actor who made the biggest impression on me was Miltos Yerolemou who played Fester, the lovable, yet sneaky jester. It was he who had me in fits of laughter from start to finish. It always amazes me how a play written in Shakespearian prose and first performed hundreds of years ago can still make people laugh. Clearly humor is timeless. Over all, the play is definitely worth a watch, whether your a theatre buff or not. 'Twelfth Night' is not one of Shakespeare's darker, morbid plays like 'Hamlet' or 'Macbeth' or 'Othello' (which three of our writers get to see next month!), its light hearted and funny and easier to follow if you haven't studied Shakespeare.
For more information go to the RSC website here, the play runs till 21st November and there are still seats available.
This particular production featured Richard Wilson, an acting veteran most famous for his role as Victor Meldrew in 'One Foot In The Grave'. For those who have no idea what that is, shall I utter his infamous catchphrase: "I DON'T BLOODY BELIEVE IT!". Whilst getting an ill-favoured reception from cut-throat theatre critics who would probably have slammed Shakespeare himself, I believe Wilson's performance was absolutely superb. He played Malvolio- the solemn, sneering servant of Olivia, who is tricked into wearing yellow stockings. To see a RADA trained, respectable actor like Richard Wilson running around the stage in a pair of egg yolk coloured stockings with a demonic smile... well, let's just say it's a sight I shall never forget.
As for the rest of the cast they acted brilliantly. Nancy Carroll played Viola and whilst playing perhaps the most feminine male I have ever seen, her performance was both entertaining and inspiring. However, the actor who made the biggest impression on me was Miltos Yerolemou who played Fester, the lovable, yet sneaky jester. It was he who had me in fits of laughter from start to finish. It always amazes me how a play written in Shakespearian prose and first performed hundreds of years ago can still make people laugh. Clearly humor is timeless. Over all, the play is definitely worth a watch, whether your a theatre buff or not. 'Twelfth Night' is not one of Shakespeare's darker, morbid plays like 'Hamlet' or 'Macbeth' or 'Othello' (which three of our writers get to see next month!), its light hearted and funny and easier to follow if you haven't studied Shakespeare.
For more information go to the RSC website here, the play runs till 21st November and there are still seats available.
1 comment:
I DON'T BLOODY BELIEVE IT!
You're a lucky, lucky girl for getting to see this, you know :)
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