Reader Reviews
Twelfth Night (Cottesloe (National Theatre), West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | A critic summed up this production as mediocre and that is exactly the word I would use to describe it. It lacked sparkle and inovation and, in parts, was frankly boring.Simon Callow was superb and I thought Rebecca Hall made a good effort in her role, but this was not the National Theatre gem that I was expecting from sir Peter Hall. - Rob | 27 Feb 11 |
| Sir Peter Hall is the eminence grise of British theatre so how can a mere theatregoer deign to criticise him, but it has to be said that Twelfth Night at the Cottesloe is surprisingly dull. The text speaking is exemplary of course but I have never seen a Twelfth Night so bereft of humour. Some of the performances are excellent, but some fall short of expectations. Charles Edwards and a physically transformed Finty Williams inject welcome moments of comedy as Aguecheek and Maria and Simon Callow gives us exactly the sort of Sir Toby Belch that you would expect from Simon Callow. Simon Paisley Day is a very puritanical Malvolio but you are supposed to feel some sympathy for his plight and, astonishingly, Rebecca Hall is a rather vapid Viola, devoid of any sense of feelings for either Olivia or Orsino. This was my fourth Twelfth Night in a couple of years so maybe Bard fatigue has set in but Michael Grandage's production still remains the benchmark. - David Baxter | 18 Feb 11 |
| I think it must have improved since the opening press nights, this felt like Shakespeare as it should be done, and was the finest production I've seen for a long time. Then again, perhaps I'm out of tune with the critics, as I thought the Hamlet at the National that they loved was terrible. - David | 09 Feb 11 |
| I saw this last week & was extremely disappointed. Shakespeare's greatest bitter sweet comedy directed by one of our greatest living theatre directors....result:mostly unfunny & unmoving.Viola spent the entire evening with a bemused smile on her face & there was no feeling betwen her & an unpassionate Orsino & an indifferent Olivia.The other parts were well played...eg Simon Callow made it clear what a totally nasty piece of work Sir Toby Belch is.Yet the comic scenes were lacklustre.Nice costumes,good music but NOT a memorable Twelfth Night by any means. - John | 08 Feb 11 |
| I've read several reviews of this that have slated it - but I saw it last Friday and really enjoyed it. Even from row T everything was clearly audible, and that isn't always the case. Hall has clearly paid attention to the dialogue deliveries, and it shows. Personally I'm quite happy watching Shakespeare without on-stage histrionics, and this particular presentation suited me just fine. So my hat's off to you, Mr Hall, your daughter and the rest of the cast. Bravo! - Steve | 31 Jan 11 |
| I couldn't get a ticket to see this during previews so wondered across to the Union Theatre in Southwark to watch Double Falsehood instead having heard that it may or may not be written in part by Shakespeare. It was a such a treat to see a classic text that's not been done for over 200 years. Phil Willmott's production was quite simply stunning and i'd firmly recommend anyone to go and see it if, like me, they are struggling to get a seat at the NT. - John Fairgrieve | 20 Jan 11 |
| Oh where was the comedy, the sexual innuendo, the romance, the fun and the pace. I had looked forward to this for weeks and then was completely ground down by it. It seemed so long and that no-one of the leads really liked one another. Without Simon Callow, Finty Williams and Charles Edwards it would have been a disaster, and even they only brought small smiles. Rebecca Hall may have the best diction ever, but warmth, love and joy in this very best of Shakespeare certainly did not abound Great music and lovely David Ryall reliable as ever. - P Jones | 20 Jan 11 |
| Loved Rebecca Hall's natural style of acting. Found the show incredibly moving. Bravo. - Lita | 19 Jan 11 |
| Rebecca Hall clearly lacks the radiation a Nancy Carroll produces, let alone the gender ambiguity, but the most striking performances are at the bottom line Hall, Drewe (at her best) and the feisty Finty Williams as Maria. Non of the man can really impress. - Elisabeth | 19 Jan 11 |
