Have appreciated Shakespeare's work for a long time. 'Twelfth Night' was one of my first Shakespeare plays. Actually along with 'Macbeth' it was the play that introduced me to and got me into his plays, through reading the text out loud in English class, while analysing the language as we went along. As a young adult, it's still one of my favourites of his. The story is complicated but lots of fun and charming, it has heart, memorable characters and moments and a lot of quotable lines.
There are a lot of very worthy and even brilliant productions of 'Twelfth Night'. Personally haven't actually seen a bad one, even if there are productions that do things differently (including a female Malvolio in one production that was done brilliantly) and don't completely succeed (including the Royal Shakespeare Company expanding Viola's role at the expense of Feste). This one for me is one of the best versions, it's just so exuberant and joyful and such a much needed breath of fresh air during such a depressing time.
Everything is executed beautifully. The costumes are neither old-fashioned or trashy, there is a sense of period with the scenery and handsomely done at that. It's beautifully shot too, it's expansive enough without being overblown and has intimacy without being claustrophobic. The direction by Nicholas Hytner is always tasteful, with no gratuitous touches or gimmicks, and traditional without being stuffy. There may not be an awful lot innovative here, but that doesn't matter with this amount of exuberance, keen eye for character interaction and respect for the text.
Shakespeare's text is typically wonderful and poetic. The comedy in the production is constantly very funny to hilarious, with nothing feeling forced or overdone. Yet the heart of the play is also far from lost or forgotten, there is actually a lot of it and it is handled very touchingly thanks to Olivia not being passive or underwritten and the beautiful chemistry between Helen Hunt and Paul Rudd.
All the performances are terrific with no exception, with Hunt a very committed and at her best enchanting Viola and Rudd a dashing and noble Orsino. Kyra Sedgwick's Olivia is very moving, while the Malvolio of Phillip Bosco is amusing yet also suitably pitiful, without being too much of an idiot. Brian Murray is riotously funny as Sir Toby and doesn't overplay or mug.
In conclusion, a joy of a 'Twelfth Night'. 10/10.
There are a lot of very worthy and even brilliant productions of 'Twelfth Night'. Personally haven't actually seen a bad one, even if there are productions that do things differently (including a female Malvolio in one production that was done brilliantly) and don't completely succeed (including the Royal Shakespeare Company expanding Viola's role at the expense of Feste). This one for me is one of the best versions, it's just so exuberant and joyful and such a much needed breath of fresh air during such a depressing time.
Everything is executed beautifully. The costumes are neither old-fashioned or trashy, there is a sense of period with the scenery and handsomely done at that. It's beautifully shot too, it's expansive enough without being overblown and has intimacy without being claustrophobic. The direction by Nicholas Hytner is always tasteful, with no gratuitous touches or gimmicks, and traditional without being stuffy. There may not be an awful lot innovative here, but that doesn't matter with this amount of exuberance, keen eye for character interaction and respect for the text.
Shakespeare's text is typically wonderful and poetic. The comedy in the production is constantly very funny to hilarious, with nothing feeling forced or overdone. Yet the heart of the play is also far from lost or forgotten, there is actually a lot of it and it is handled very touchingly thanks to Olivia not being passive or underwritten and the beautiful chemistry between Helen Hunt and Paul Rudd.
All the performances are terrific with no exception, with Hunt a very committed and at her best enchanting Viola and Rudd a dashing and noble Orsino. Kyra Sedgwick's Olivia is very moving, while the Malvolio of Phillip Bosco is amusing yet also suitably pitiful, without being too much of an idiot. Brian Murray is riotously funny as Sir Toby and doesn't overplay or mug.
In conclusion, a joy of a 'Twelfth Night'. 10/10.