‘Twelfth Night’: Shakespeare at his best

‘TWELFTH NIGHT’ Stephen Fry as Malovio with, clockwise from top, Andrew Wright as Sir Andrew Aguecheek; Jethro Skinner as Fabian; Colin Hurley as Sir Toby Belch. Photo: Joan Marcus

TWELFTH NIGHT
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Tim Carroll
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street.
(212-239-6200), www.ShakespeareBroadway.com

By David NouNou

If you ever disliked Shakespeare as a child or couldn’t get into him as an adult, let me assuage your fears. Here is a pair of Shakespearian plays in tandem with Richard III, performed by a superb cast headed by Mark Rylance that will make you embrace the Bard instead of fearing him. What makes them both so enjoyable is their authenticity in recapturing the mood of that era. Seeing the actors get into their costumes before the play starts, musicians playing Elizabethan tunes, all add to conjure a night of merriment and enchantment.

Needless to say, Twelfth Night is the comedy. The storyline is convoluted; suffice it to say it deals with a shipwreck, twins getting separated, mistaken identities, the wrong couples pursing each other. However, by the end all is mended. With all the characters in his plays, Shakespeare makes for difficult reading, but when it is performed well, and in this version it’s superb, it becomes a joy and a fresh breeze to follow.

Since the cast is comprised of all men, one has to start with Samuel Barnett as Viola; after all, she is the shipwrecked maiden who disguises herself as a young man by the name of “Cesario” throughout the whole play and is simply wonderful. Mr. Barnett is a man, playing a woman, playing a man, and is innocent charm at its best. Cesario is in the employ of Orsino (Liam Brennan) who is in love with Olivia, the indefatigable Mark Rylance. He brings new meaning to temptress. Olivia falls for Cesario, who in turn starts falling for Orsino. I told you it gets convoluted, but the fun is in how it all sorts itself out.

Among the formidable cast are Stephen Fry as Malvolio; Paul Chahidi as Maria; Colin Hurley as Sir Toby Belch, all living under Olivia’s roof. Also present is Olivia’s hapless pursuer Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Angus Wright; all giving splendidl performances. The director, Tim Carroll, works his cast at a breakneck pace and makes both plays accessible and delightful.

One must remember that this brilliant ensemble cast is doing a repertory of different roles in different plays. One can’t help but be in awe of their brilliance because each actor is portraying a different role in each show, and each character is so distinct that one forgets the roles are being played by the same actors. Amazing.

‘TWELFTH NIGHT’: Mark Rylance as Olivia. Photo: Joan Marcus

Twelfth Night received 7 Tony Nominations, including: Best Drama Revival, Best Dramatic Actor – Samuel Barnett, Best Supporting Actors : Paul Chahidi, Stephen Fry, MARK RYLANCE, Best Director – Tim Carroll, BEST COSTUME DESIGN – JENNY TRAMAN.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 15, 2013
Reviewed at press performance on November 14, 2013