Bell Shakespeare returns to The Art House Wyong on August 5 with a fresh retelling of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Twelfth Night as it embarks on a national tour.
Celebrating the 400th anniversary of the play’s publication as part of Shakespeare’s First Folio, this new production is an innovative reiteration of the original, offering a dark collision of love – requited and unrequited.
The performance follows Bell Shakespeare’s bright, bold 70s-inspired rendition of The Comedy of Errors that played at The Art House in September 2022.
Twelfth Night tells the tale of Viola, who arrives in the city of Illyria following a shipwreck that she believes claimed the life of her identical twin Sebastian.
Disguised as a man, Viola goes to work for Duke Orsino and falls in love with him.
The Duke, however, is in love with Countess Olivia; but unbeknown to them both, Olivia has found herself smitten with the disguised Viola.
Things only get more complicated when Sebastian miraculously reappears amid some matchmaking and hijinks from Olivia’s servants.
Exploring obsession, longing, disguise and cruelty, at its core Twelfth Night is a play about love and how it affects us.
Written around 1601–1602, it is one of Shakespeare’s most notably musical plays, an aspect amplified in this new work from Bell Shakespeare, through original music by Sarah Blasko.
Leaning into the gender fluid antics of the plot, Director Heather Fairbairn said a diverse and talented cast had been assembled to bring Twelfth Night to life.
“I’m delighted to be working with such a stellar cast of actors, who each bring something unique to their role,” Fairbairn said.
“The production will subvert standard casting approaches in regard to gender, with the character of Malvolio transformed to Malvolia, played by the wonderful Jane Montgomery Griffiths, and the lead female role of Viola played by Alfie Gledhill; the result will offer a timely exploration of the fluidity of gender and sexuality.”
Keith Agius, Isabel Burton, Amy Hack, Garth Holcombe, Mike Howlett, Tomáš Kantor, Chrissy Mae and Ursula Mills star alongside Gledhill and Montgomery Griffiths.
Bell Shakespeare is Australia’s national theatre company specialising in the works of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries.
It was founded in 1990 with the dream of sharing these plays in a way that was relevant and exciting to all Australians.
Source:
The Art House Wyong