Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identity and aspirational servants is given a strangely haunting treatment by director Jonathan Munby.
The action is less frenetic than usual and there’s a measured, almost dreamlike quality to the piece.
Sebastian and Viola appear several times on stage: almost as if they’re imagining a lost sibling – there’s a real sense that Illyria is some sort of mysterious world where the dead come back to life and boys turn into girls.
A wardrobe features so often that I started to think I was watching a stage version of one of the Narnia books.
But it’s not all ethereal: Rebecca Johnson’s decidedly lusty Olivia can scarcely conceal her delight at the appearance of the twins. David Fielder’s Toby Belch has an almost visceral hatred of Malvolio – this is not mere japery, the class differences are made starkly clear. Hugh Ross’s rather prim Malvolio is not the funniest I’ve seen, but again, there’s an element of real contempt underneath the exterior - his final: “I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you” carries a genuine threat.
The play can be – and often is – funnier, but this is a beautifully, clear uncluttered production, with some excellent performances: a perfect appetiser for the Christmas season.
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