Twelfth Night

Synopsis

Or What You Will. Shakespeare comedy of mistaken identity, practical jokes and unrequited love. Rescued from a shipwreck the twins Viola and Sebastian arrive independently in Illyria, both thinking the other is drowned. Viola disguises herself as a boy and finds employment with the Duke who is in love with Olivia. Malvolio is the subject of a cruel joke played on him by Sir Toby Belch (yellow stockings cross-gartered) leading him to believe that Olivia loves him. But Olivia has fallen in love with the disguised Viola, while she is in love with the Duke (following it so far?!).

Our Review:

Roz Carter - 13 November 2012

Directed by Edward Hall, the all-male cast of Propeller Theatre create a punchy and brutal production of Twelfth Night that explores what happens when you fall in love with the wrong person.

Michael Pavelka’s set is atmospherically eerie and has echoes of a past decadence, dusted with cobwebs. With oversized, movable wardrobes, a broken chandelier and mirrors lining the walls, it plays on the themes of disguise and hints at a ship’s ballroom sunk beneath the sea.

The music, created by the company, haunts the stage, while the group harmonies have the ability to invoke both a raucous drinking hall and the sound of a broken heart.

As an ensemble the company sparks and fizzes with each other as though it's playing with electricity. Prowling the stage in the shadows, a constant presence creates the sinister feeling of being watched, while masks allow leads to become chorus, and vice versa.

The pai...

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Latest User Review

Ruth - 18 November 2012:

You can judge a performance of Twelfth Night by how quickly the audience go from roaring laughter to discomfort in the prison scene. You could have heard a pin drop on Friday night. Heartbreaking....

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