121 replies to this topic

[Poly]

I was at the last performance of Twelfth Night (which I absolutely loved) on Saturday. Can't tell whether there was anything different from other performances, although I have a question: When Olivia sends Malvolio after Cesario with the excuse of giving back the ring, and Mark Rylance plays it like she is going to burst at any moment, Malvolio says "Madame, I will", and Rylance turned around and, supposedly playing it cool, said "whatever". Was that always there? Because it's not exactly in the text.

Stephen Fry made a speech at curtain call, as it was his last night, as opposed to everyone else having one more performance of Richard III. That performance, he made a jone, in a desperate bid for authenticity would be in a car park at Leicester square. Then he teased Mark Rylance by talking about Shakespeare and making a point of referencing Stratford as his birthplace. Everyone laughed including MR.

[Michael]

The "whatever" was there at the performance I saw. It was one of several textual interpolations in this production, including a screamed "Go away!" from Olivia when a messenger interrupts her when she's flirting with Viola, and a distinct "What the f...!?" from Liam Brennan's Orsino.