DFoA: Hild Bede Theatre's 'Twelfth Night'
"An idyllic way to spend a summer afternoon"
I watched HBT’s production of ‘Twelfth Night’ while sitting on the lawn at Hild Bede and enjoying a picnic of grapes and cocktail sausages. I would hope this illustrates the kind of atmosphere you will be treated to if you go and see this show. Much like the food I was eating, the show was not particularly challenging, nor overly professional. However, it remained completely enjoyable and well suited to its setting.
When a production suffers numerous drop-outs mere days before it is put on, as was the case here, it is difficult not to be skeptical. I did, therefore, have reservations as to the quality that might have been achieved. Thankfully, I was in fact treated to a surprisingly smooth and highly entertaining performance. This production is not without its problems but the cast – especially those filling in for drop-outs – carry the show through their energy and commitment to their roles.
Baker should be commended both for her choice of location and in facing the challenges of staging that come with it. I would note that the cast should strive to project their voices in the given environment, as some lines were lost when facing away from audience members. The blocking remained dynamic throughout and the cast did well to keep the circle of audience members engaged.
Malvolio (played by Ginny Leigh) made excellent use of the space, strutting round the circle in a manner well suited to the character. I was also very entertained by the creative use of foliage, both as the stage ‘wings’ and as props to hide behind. A great comedic moment happens when the trio of Sir Toby (Charlie Keable), Sir Andrew (Emily McLean) and Fabian (Kesia Schofield) hide behind bushes as Malvolio falls for their fake letter.
The original music (composed by Rhys Rodrigues and performed by Martha Bozic, Georgie Proctor and Florence Russell) was also an excellent addition to the setting of the piece without becoming intrusive or distracting from the performance of the actors. It was fitting as an interlude between acts as well as providing a strong accompaniment to the songs of Feste (Meriel Killeen), who displayed a singing voice that matched her acting talents. I would, however, question the costuming choices in Antonio (Olivia Bevan).
Where most of the characters were dressed relatively casually, I felt Antonio’s costume was excessive. Though I understand it was supposed to match his character, I feel like this could have been achieved with a greater degree of subtlety. Baker talks of a ‘comfortable contemporary setting’ in her Director’s note and I cannot help but feel Antonio’s costume detracted from this.
I must praise the ability of Keable, McLean and Russell to pick up so many lines in such a short space of time. Though prompts were necessary at times, this did not detract too much from the pace of the production, especially given the circumstances.
Any difficulties in remembering lines were more than made up for by the commitment of the actors to their characters. Russell showed skill in playing with the band as well as adapting to multiple roles. Keable and McLean were a particular highlight for me, displaying a chemistry that would have you think they had been rehearsing for weeks and not just a few days. Their comedic timing was excellent and together they stole the scenes in which they appeared. Furthermore, any gaps in dialogue were skillfully filled by Keable in the form of well-timed and characterfully apt belches.
Though the energy of the comedic characters was not always matched by the four main love interests that were Count Orsino (Kishore Thiagajaran-Walker), Olivia (Rosie Dart), Viola (Rosie Minnit) and Sebastian (Josie Williams), this is more a result of the inherent nature of the parts within the play rather than a fault of the actors. Each did well to express the conflicting emotions and confusion displayed by their characters as the mess of Shakespeare’s love story untangles. Having said that, I would still challenge them to give more life to their roles as to make the plot-driving scenes as entertaining as those there for comedic value.
HBT’s ‘Twelfth Night’ was never going to be a perfect production, especially given the circumstances they faced. Lines were not always delivered with perfect clarity or attentiveness to meaning and at times were forgotten completely. However, I would still urge you go and see this show.
It might not be a definitive interpretation but it really doesn’t need to be. The nature of ‘Twelfth Night’ determines it as silly and fun, an ethic captured well by the cast and by the directional choices of Baker. HBT has certainly succeeded in creating an accessible and entertaining show as well as an idyllic way to spend a summer afternoon.
Photograph by Hild Bede Theatre
