Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare.
New College Gardens, 4th - 15th July 2000

Twelfth Night has long been one of Shakespeare's most popular works. One of his middle comedies, written at the height of his purest comic genius, it is a tale of cross-dressing, confusion, unspoken and unreciprocated love, madness, witty word-play and Tom-foolery. The twelfth night of Christmas looks onto a return to the routine of life and is the climax of this festive season; the play is thus full of the excesses of music, drinking and emotion.

Twin brother and sister (Sebastian and Viola) are shipwrecked and brought ashore to Illyria; each thinks the other has drowned. Viola presents herself as the eunuch 'Cesario' to serve Count Orsino (who she falls in love with). A Countess Olivia (whom Count Orsino is trying to woo through 'Cesario') then falls for this disguised Viola. The comic subplot features similar misplaced love, hand in hand with drunken roguery, slapstick and song. To add further to the mayhem, Sebastian is abruptly landed in the centre of this, being mistaken for 'Cesario'.

Don't miss this opportunity to find out how this complicated plot resolves itself. The City of Oxford Theatre Guild, which comprises a mixture of amateurs and professionals from all over Oxfordshire, is a strong company, and was evidently very well directed here by Gerald Gould. The production is overall quite 'straight': the costumes are elaborate but not intrusive and the music, taken from various sources, is simple, folk-like and effective. The professionalism of both performers and direction is refreshing. Lines are well-paced with neither disrespect for nor overindulgence in the text. The most highly commendable performances are those of Abbey Wright, who brings out the uniqueness of Viola amongst Shakespearean females beautifully; Kerry Elkins (Maria, Olivia's waiting-gentlewoman), John O'Connor (the infamous Sir Toby
Belch), Rob Reynolds (Sir Andrew Aguecheek) and Nick Quartley (Malvolio), for their superb comic timing; and Dominic Oliver (Feste the jester - a role said to set the mood of the whole play). One or two perhaps less experienced performers do suffer in comparison with the majority but this doesn't detract from the general high standard.

The balanced and contrasting elements of romance, comedy and the cruelty directed against the puritan, Malvolio, are realised very effectively
(Elizabethan puritans made several attacks on the theatre and so were a sure target for the playwrights of the time). The Grand Finale that is the last act, once the frolicking is over and all confusions are unravelled, ends with a suitably sobering song: "With hey, ho, the wind and the rain". So take a blanket and winter coat, just in case, and enjoy!

Andy McBeth, 4 / 5 / 00