The curtain rises to reveal a dirty, dilapidated villa, complete with a dead Christmas tree and some faded festive cards: it's clear that this is not a traditional Twelfth Night. All too often, directors let loose on a classic Shakespeare destroy it with an ill-fitting and inappropriate concept, attempting to gain plaudits for innovation. Fortunately, the director at the helm of the Marlowe Society's latest endeavour, Martin Hudson, creates a dark, post-Christmas world that both enriches the text and gives it a new lease of life. Occasionally, however, the refreshing reinterpretation is let down by disappointing flaws.

Clever directorial reinterpretations characterised the production and imbued it with an off-beat charm: think Malvolio's (Oliver Soden) haunting cellar speech being played over a tinny intercom, or the bedraggled Feste (Mark Fiddaman) singing Bob Dylan-esque acoustic ballads while sporting make up like that of Heath Ledger's infamous Joker. Hudson's concept is effectively augmented by his production team: varied costume designs epitomised each character and created a couple of visual gags, while subtle alterations in Simon Gethin Thomas' lighting design encapsulated the mood and tone of each scene. While there was an overall sense that the production sought to offer an alternative - yet plausible - interpretation of this Shakespearian classic, the choreographed movement sequence at the end seemed like an unnecessary afterthought. Soden's final portrayal of self-righteous anger and intense shame was thoroughly well-acted, yet he was undermined by this gratuitous addition.

The cast were generally strong, but supporting performances were drowned out by some particularly notable actors. Patrick Walshe-McBride displayed masterful comic timing as the bumbling Sir Andrew Aguecheek, complimented by Joshua Higgott's roguish Sir Toby Belch and Eve Rosato's feisty Maria. Though these three were a particular delight, the play ultimately belongs to Celeste Dring. From the moment she appeared - soaked, windswept and weeping over her lost brother's clothes - her understatement and emotional intensity resulted in a perfectly pitched Viola. Soden deserves another mention for his waspish Malvolio, but stumbling over the ubiquitous “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” wasn't exactly ideal. While Simon Haines was competent as Duke Orsino, his performance lacked variety, and seemed two-dimensional in comparison to others. This Twelfth Night isn't quite a jewel in the Marlowe Society's crown, but the heavyweights of the university drama scene have created an interesting, lively production that's certainly worth a visit.