This is by far the best performance of The Twelfth Night that I have ever seen. Emma Rice tweaked Shakespeare's comedy into something familiar enough to a modern day audience for it to be relatable; it is set in the 70s, Illyria is now Scotland, the boat is now a cruise ship. Shakespeare's work is another language, a mixture of words he created, words that are no longer in our everyday vocabulary and references to a by-gone era. However, no matter your previous experience with Shakespeare, Rice’s Twelfth Night was performed in such a way that every punchline landed, every line was understood, every poignant moment was felt. The audience was laughing to the point of tears, while the perils of poor Malvolio and the reuniting of the twins tugged at our heartstrings in the way that Shakespeare had intended. Even more amazing was the fact that Rice managed this without dumbing down the text or overcompensating with slapstick. It was the best atmosphere I've ever experienced seeing a play; both die-hard Shakespeare fans and newbies alike were raving about it, and in the surrounding pubs afterwards, the tables were full of groups discussing their favourite scenes. The ability to be able to make a 400 year old play feel fresh and new to Shakespeare lovers is a gift, especially while stimaneously inviting those unfamiliar to experience how bloody hilarious Shakespeare was.
The casting was impeccable. Katy Owen as Malvolio made such an impact on me that I can still hear her voice and replay some of her scene-stealing moments in my head. She is a petite woman but she possesses a demanding stage presence. This is the second recent performance in London to cast a woman as Malvolio and I think it works perfectly. My favourite scene with Owen was Act 3 Scene 4, where Malvolio is showing off his yellow stocking-clad calves to Olivia. I have seen performances where no real emphasis is put on the reference to stockings in Olivia's letter, but Owen made it one of the best scenes in the play.
Likewise, Le Gateau Chocolat was iconic as Feste, self-aware in his sassiness and using every morsel of it to get a roaring laugh from the crowd. It is rare to see someone using stillness so powerfully, then juxtaposing it with their hilarious comedic timing; all it took was a look to the audience or a subtle hair flip (something I never thought I would see on the Globe stage), to cement Le Gateau Chocolat as the best casting of Feste I have ever seen!
Joshua Lacey, who played Orsino, was clearly made for the Globe stage. At one point he stood legs akimbo in front of a male audience member and stared at him while giving his monologue. It was absolutely brilliant; the awkwardness from the audience member delighted the crowd. As an Irish dancing obsessive I loved his jig, and as a true romantic his kiss with Viola, played by the beautiful Anita-Joy Uwajeh, had myself and the audience cheering and swooning collectively.
While I am giving this play a roaring review, one cannot ignore the fact that Emma Rice has become renowned in the Shakespeare community for the mixed reviews she has received in her two-year tenure as Director of The Globe. Twelfth Night, as well as her directorial debut at the Globe, Romeo and Juliet, received such a backlash, with her work being condemned by Shakespeare purists and uppity journalists alike. They have slaughtered Rice's vision to the point where she is now leaving the Globe. I cannot explain how devastated my friends and I were to learn of this – it is an absolute tragedy that so many people who feel out of touch with classic Shakespeare, will not get to fall in love with his work through Rice's direction in the future.
There have been enough 'glued to the text' performances since Twelfth Night was written in 1601. It should therefore be welcomed and encouraged for an occasional artistic and modern approach of his work. Shakespeare intended his comedies to entertain the masses and to push boundaries, and Twelfth Night in particular was intended to be wild and outrageous. How then, in an era of constant fast-paced entertainment and media, can it have the same effect on a modern audience without being modernised somewhat? It has become increasingly harder to produce a fresh and entertaining version of Twelfth Night, yet Emma Rice did it.
I am of the opinion that had Shakespeare known his work would live forever, he would have scoffed at the thought of a board of directors refusing to allow creative interpretations by artistic geniuses centuries later. The issue seemed to mainly revolve around the use of lighting. Yes, stage lighting was not used in the early 17th century, but neither were female actors - things change, time moves on. Shakespeare was before his time, so why trap him there?
Shakespeare's work can exist harmoniously on two planes: the classical and the modern day take. As was demonstrated with Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice and Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones' Diary, seeing a story you love reinterpreted in a new form is exciting and allows the story to live on. Your love for the modern story need not take away from your love of the original. Storytelling is the world’s oldest pasttime, but how boring would it be if stories were never allowed to evolve?
If you get the opportunity I implore you to see it as soon as possible. It is on until the 5th August.
