As I walk out of BATS’ Twelfth Night, I’m struck by one clear thought: “God, can we do more of these?” Twelfth Night is a show I’m delightfully familiar with. I’ve seen it, adapted it, directed it, and (marginally) performed it; God knows how much I miss my Malvolio days. As a result, seeing it finally come to Cambridge in a year full of theatrical delights had me highly excited, and it’s safe to say my anticipation was very well-rewarded.

One of the key strengths of this show is its visual flair. I was fortunate enough to see it on a delightfully sunny day, making the bright colours of the cast’s costumes pop even more than would have been possible in artificial lighting. Ely Dela Cruz and Rosie Freeman’s costumes were both slick and varied, with each character possessing their own very distinct sense of style. One has to raise a glass to poor Tim Browning however for having to put up with Malvolio’s blazers in blistering heat: perhaps the yellow stockings were a better fit for the day. The setting of Cloister Court in Queens’ College, with the audience scattered around on picnic blankets and shaded seats also made for a refreshing environment. Whilst this did have some drawbacks – one lovely Queen’s member decided to jog brazenly through the play – it proved a delightful way to get a tan whilst enjoying some splendid morning Shakespeare.

The show itself integrated well with its surroundings. Directors Salomé Sivignon and Lucy White were clearly keen to utilise every aspect of the environment possible – playing around with audience proximity, live music, and different parts of the court for different areas of Illyria. Entrances and exits felt seamless as a result, and at their best, these choices greatly benefited the material – it’s not too hard for Olivia to be impressed by Viola when she sings with the voice of Eva Cotton.

“There were times where I felt a dissonance between the show’s dialogue and its presentation”

There were times, however, where I felt a dissonance between the show’s dialogue and its presentation. The most glaring example is the utter lack of visual symmetry between Eva Cotton’s Viola and Callan Macdonald’s Sebastian: no similar costuming, hairstyle, vocal tone, nothing. Viola herself doesn’t notably change costumes when she enters Olivia’s company. I mention this because it became clear to me that my audience were unfamiliar with the story, and in some cases, were completely unable to understand what was happening – I overheard one person say they’d only realised Viola and Sebastian were supposed to be lookalikes at the very end. This is, obviously, an issue for any modern Shakespeare production, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t shake my belief in the show’s quality.

In all fairness, the production did incorporate some contemporary elements, perhaps in an attempt to combat this: occasional slang, suggestive gestures, the repeated appearance of Lucky Saint, and even a rendition of ‘Hey Jude’ to a bemused Orsino (played by Jude King.) Unsurprisingly, the show’s comic scenes involving Malvolio and the courtiers, filled with slapstick and more overtly physical action, invited more audience attention, yet this resulted in a detectable drag during the play’s more serious scenes towards the beginning – well acted, certainly, but lacking the same spark as in other parts of the production. The show, as a whole, takes a while to get going, but it’s a very rewarding wait.

“The cast are very strong, and handle Shakespearean delivery well”

The cast are very strong, and handle Shakespearean delivery well, even if some are more skilled at handling the iambic pentameter than others. Jude King, Max Parkhouse and Betty Blythe all stood out for their comfortability with the required inflexions, though I did very much enjoy Romola Goldfarb’s small bursts of contemporary dialogue in Olivia’s most pressured moments. Blake Gerance’s Sir Andrew equally became a favourite of mine to watch, although credit again has to be given to Tim Browning’s utter commitment to Malvolio – whoever came up with the visual gag of a drum on his head deserves a medal.

Despite its reliance on audience familiarity, this was still a very fun performance of Twelfth Night. Well-acted, well-directed, with bursts of complimentary originality, this was a delightful addition to this year’s collection of May Week shows, and a good start to what promises to be a delightful end to a wonderful year in CamDram. A thoroughly delightful performance, yet one a bit more in need of some “midsummer madness.”

Twelfth Night was shown at 12:00 pm between Fri 20th – Sat 21st June at Cloister Court, Queens’ College.

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