1st Night Photos: Branagh Supports Jacobi’s Night

Twelfth Night is directed by Michael Grandage, who also helmed the inaugural production of the Donmar West End season, Chekhov’s Ivanov starring Kenneth Branagh in the title role, which was a popular and critical success, recently winning a clutch of Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice awards nominations (See News, 5 December 2008). Branagh was on hand last night to lend his support to Jacobi and the rest of the company, along with other members of the Ivanov cast.

Jacobi is joined in the ensemble by Victoria Hamilton as Viola, Indira Varma as Olivia, Samantha Spiro as Maria, Mark Bonnar as Orsino, Lloyd Hutchinson as Antonio, Zubin Varla as Feste, Guy Henry as Andrew Aguecheek and Ron Cook as Sir Toby Belch.

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PHOTOS BY DAN WOOLLER FOR WHATSONSTAGE.COM.

For 1st Night Photos, our Whatsonstage.com photographer Dan Wooller was on hand for the curtain call and the post-show party at the National Gallery Cafe, where thc company were joined by guests including Owen Teale, Tamara Harvey, Colin Tierney and Ivanov cast members Kenneth Branagh, Kevin R McNally and Malcolm Sinclair.

Twelfth Night tells of Viola, who, shipwrecked and fearing her twin brother dead, is swept onto the shores of Illyria. Disguising herself as a boy, she takes a post in the Duke’s court and, on his behalf, attempts to woo his loved one, the Lady Olivia.

Also in the cast are Norman Bowman (Curio), James Howard (Valentine) and Alex Waldmann (Sebastian). Twelfth Night is designed by Christopher Oram, with lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Fergus O’Hare and music by Julian Philips, and runs at the Wyndham’s until 7 March 2009.

– By Theo Bosanquet