Review: TWELFTH NIGHT, Wilton’s Music Hall - Duke’s Theatre Company

Twelfth Night at Wilton's Music Hall, presented by Duke's Theatre Company, offers an evening of absurd Shakespearean shenanigans that raises laughs and cheers and, perhaps surprisingly, some audience participation that gives the entire production the fun feeling of being at a panto. In fact, the story of Twelfth Night, with its themes of mistaken identity, love triangles, and general comedic chaos, is the kind of thing a good panto should definitely be made of.

The story is that shipwrecked Viola finds herself disguised as a man named Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino, who is smitten with Lady Olivia. However, Olivia falls for Cesario, and the stage is set for a whimsical tale of love, laughter, and merry confusion. It’s written to be funny and ludicrous.

As soon as the audience enters the theatre, they’re immediately drawn to the charming set design – a large postcard that welcomes you to Illyria – that transports you back to the 1950s. This would have been a nice touch if the theme had remained constant throughout, but the costuming was actually rather confusing with 50’s attire, a groovy hippy/guru straight out of the swinging 60s, and even the twins in Elizabethan garb, adding a touch of historical hodgepodge to the mix. Perhaps there was some deeper meaning to this mismatch of eras?

Despite the confusion as to exactly when the play was meant to be set, the performers do a good job of playing the various parts, all doing double duty which, whether intentional or not, absolutely adds to the mistaken identity element and is nicely done with quick costume changes and new accents signalling to the audience who they were now watching.

Noah Marullo's portrayal of Malvolio is hugely entertaining. Marullo captures the character's pomposity and self-importance flawlessly, eliciting plenty of laughter from the audience, and his ability to break the fourth wall and engage with the audience adds an interactive element that makes the experience even more enjoyable. Marullo's magnetic stage presence truly shines throughout the performance and whether he is playing Malvolio or his alter ego Antonio, he is a joy to watch.

Ben Simon brings Sir Toby Belch to life with a remarkable display of energy and flair. As a cockney geezer, Simon infuses the character with boisterousness and mischievous charm and his impeccable comedic timing and physicality has the audience in stitches, earning him well-deserved laughs and applause.

Beatrice John's portrayal of Olivia is also commendable, capturing the character's beauty and poise with grace and elegance. John's stage presence is captivating, and her interactions with the other characters are engaging and heartfelt, effectively conveying Olivia's emotional journey from grief to love.

The text of Twelfth Night has six songs included in it, and in this performance, they are all sung by the cast, either as solos (both dramatic and comedic) or as ensemble numbers, and these are nicely paced and well performed, giving another layer to the play that can sometimes be missed when the songs aren’t given the importance they deserve. It is great to hear these songs and the performances are lovely, with beautiful harmonies in the group numbers that elevate the entire show.

While this rendition of Twelfth Night may not have reached the heights of greatness (or had greatness thrust upon it, come to that), it still captures the essence of Shakespeare's comedy with commendable finesse.

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Lisamarie Lamb

Twelfth Night plays at Wilton’s Music Hall again this evening (11July) and continues to tour until 1 September, with further information here.