Twelfth Night

The Australian Shakespeare Company is always a highlight of the summer theatre season in Melbourne. Their expertise in staging outdoor production has proven to be a winning formula. This production of Twelfth Night aims to draw out the humour and gives each character a strong comical disposition. The tongue-in-cheek approach to the characterisations place emphasis on the flaws of the personas to generate much amusement. This makes the play extremely enjoyable, and the interactive approach of the performers ensures that the audience is totally hooked. 

The show includes a very accomplished cast: Elizabeth Brennan (Viola) thoroughly explores the ambivalence of her role through gesture and vocal range as she disguises herself as her twin brother Sebastian (Scott Middleton). Hugh Sexton gives Orsino great nobility and Nicole Nabout effectively captures the allure and vulnerability of Olivia. Maddie Somers uses her comic expertise to make Maria very cheeky. Jackson McGovern makes Sir Toby Belch’s continually inebriated state look extremely natural. Tony Rive delivers some classic and hilarious slapstick as Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Alex Cooper’s Feste is charming and his singing and strumming on the guitar provides some delightful musical interludes. Henny Walters (Fabian) also distinguishes herself with a vibrant and energetic performance. Peter Houghton as Malvolio is particularly impressive; he captures the serious and sour nature of the persona without losing humour.

The staging of the play is clever and seamless, and the performances are delivered with expert comic timing. This production tends to indulge these comic elements and, sometimes, this is at the expense of the genuine drama built into the narrative. For example, while the treatment of Malvolio as truly cruel is not overlooked, the gravity of the humiliation it causes is somewhat played down. 

The costuming and set design clearly allude to seafaring culture but there could be a more cohesive approach to creating a distinct production design. Malvolio and Viola exude elegance while the costuming of other characters and the set design seems to operate within different fantasy genres. 

There are some great moments where the lighting and the outdoor setting create a very evocative atmosphere and make the outdoor setting quite magical. The show provides genuine engaging entertainment and makes the text, and the often-convoluted Shakespearean plots, extremely lively and accessible. 

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Ben Fon