Theatre Review
Production: Twelfth Night
By: William Shakespeare
Main Players: Todd Talbot, David Marr, Ryan Beil, Patti Allan, Lois Anderson, Andrew Wheeler, Melissa Poll
Director: David Mackay
Where: Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, main stage
Run: June 5 - September 27 

Rating: 4 stars

Reviewed By: Tessa Perkins (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada)

When I found out that this rendition of Twelfth Night was set in the roaring ‘20s, I was a bit skeptical; but once I got over that, the play really seemed as if it fit into that era perfectly. The show began with a black and white film scene of the storm where Viola (Anderson) is shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria, and set the stage well for the rest of the play. A story of attempted love, reunion, misunderstanding, renewed hope, and cross-dressing, Twelfth Night is definitely one of Shakespeare's best comedies.  

The story of Twelfth Night can be a bit hard to grasp, especially if the actors do a poor job of portraying each character. Luckily, the actors were very skilled at keeping the characters alive in our minds between scenes, and the comedic aspects of the play were therefore a success. The confusion of the play comes about when Viola, after being shipwrecked and under the impression that her brother, Sebastian (Robert Moloney), has drowned, disguises herself as a boy and becomes the servant Cesario to Duke Orsino (Talbot) of Illyria. Cesario is sent to proclaim the Duke's love to Countess Olivia (Poll) whom the Duke is smitten with. The problem arises once Olivia becomes smitten with not Orsino but with Cesario, while Cesario falls in love with the Duke.

Aside from this main cast and storyline are the hilariously funny supporting characters who plot to cause the downfall of Olivia's steward, Malvolio (Wheeler). Sir Toby Belch (Marr), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Beil), and Fabian (Allan) almost overshadow the main characters because they are so entertaining. At one point they disguise themselves as a groundskeeper with a rake, a child licking a lollipop and a nanny knitting furiously to spy on Malvolio and watch him come across a false letter supposedly from Olivia. Due to the contents of the letter, which have made him think Olivia desires him, Malvolio begins to smile constantly and wear a kilt with high yellow socks "cross-gartered." He is seen as mad and locked up, which only adds to his comedic value.  

With disguise as a prominent theme in this play, the costumes were designed to reflect this and give a real sense of the extravagance and grandeur of the ‘20s. When Belch, Aguecheek, and Fabian are disguised, their costumes are an integral part of communicating the plot and securing the laughs. There are also many beautiful dresses, tailored suits, and vintage pieces that make the play fit that much better into this vibrant decade. As with the costumes, the musical styles of this era fit very well with the play's spontaneity. The characters broke into song quite frequently which only added to the already laugh-packed show. The music was performed live on a gramophone, a cappella, and on instruments such as a jazz guitar and ukulele. 

Bard on the Beach is always a wonderful experience, with the sunset and boats sailing by in the background of the open tent and surrounded by the fresh summer air (although not always warm enough). As with all Shakespeare's work, the last scene is usually the best. All the characters get either what they wanted or the next best thing and the audience feels as if they have just been on a therapeutic journey of personal catharsis. One can't help but walk away from Twelfth Night feeling better about the one that got away or the one that just never loved you back because in the end they were not the one meant for you.