The Twelfth Night carnival has come to Illyria, and the audience is in for an fun-filled rollercoaster ride into excitement! On stage for just one more month, Twelfth Night at Bard on the Beach is a riotous good way to wrap up the summer.
Director Diana Donnelly has adapted the Shakespeare classic into a light-hearted, musical, comedy romp with the assistance of Veda Hille’s compositions and Anton Lipovtesky’s Musical Direction. Lipovtesky also plays Feste, onstage throughout the play as the minstrel guiding the story through song, joined by the company of Christine Quintana, Munish Sharma, Nadeem Phillip Umar Khitab* and Billy Marchenski^ plus Nathan Kay on percussion and Charlie Gallant on guitars. With the production featuring a number of East Van Panto alumni, Twelfth Night feels a bit like West Side Shakespanto.
Holding court over the carnival, Count Orsino (Aidan Correia) seeks love by wooing the fair Olivia (powerfully voiced by Olivia Hutt) who is mourning the recent loss of her father and brother and no interest in Orsino. Living with her drunkard uncle, Sir Toby (Marcus Youssef), Olivia keeps her guard up, and is guarded by her faithful companions the sombre and attentive Malvolia (Dawn Petten) and lively and mischievous Maria (Evelyn Chew)
Meanwhile, a shipwreck survivor has washed up onshore. The young survivor, Viola – played by the engaging Camille Legg – believing her brother is lost at sea, takes the disguise of a young man named Cesario in order to gain work in Orsino’s company. Orsino sends Cesario to make is case with Olivia, but in a turn of events Olivia falls for Cesario/Viola, who is in turn falling for Orsino. To add more hiccups, Sir Toby’s equally soused friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek – Nathan Kay in a slapstick turn – also sets his sights on Olivia, with an even less optimistic outcome.
While Orsino’s plans hit a speed bump, another plan is set in motion with Sir Toby, Maria and the carnival’s jester Feste setting up the officious Malvolia to cruelly comedic result only the scene-stealing comedic genius Dawn Petten could portray.
On another shore, we find pirate Antonia (Ivy Charles) and Sebastian (Charlie Gallant), who also survived the shipwreck but assumes his sister has perished, making their way to Illyria. As Antonia is unwelcome at the Carnival, she and Sebastian separate, but she see soon sees Sebastian in a duel and leaps to defend her friend. However, things are not as it seems as this friend is Sebastian’s twin, Viola. When dressed as Cesario, Viola looks even more like her twin and since Cesario is well known at the carnival, Sebastian is equally misidentified, causing a cavalcade of comeuppances The comedy unfolds through classic cases of Shakespearean mistaken identity mixed with love triangles, diamonds and more.
What will be the outcomes? Will the twins be unmasked? Who ends up with whom? How much will you love and laugh at Twelfth Night? Find all the answers at the brilliantly enjoyable evening under the Mainstage Tent at Bard on the Beach until September 21st. Find ticket and showtimes at bardonthebeach.org/whats-on/twelfth-night
*Nadeem Phillip Umar Khitab leaves the role of Valentine on September 1st, Chirag Naik takes over September 2nd
^Playing the roles of Captain/Ringleader, Billy Marchenski stepped in for Andrew Wheeler during the performance viewed.