A Twelfth Night fresh in every sense of the word: brave, bawdy, funny and newly minted as if played for the first time. A Twelfth Night for anyone who thought Shakespeare was GCSE and for everyone who had forgotten the wit of the Bard.

We might know the plot, but we didn’t know Tess Gill’s production which sparkled with the camp comedy and cross dressing, as familiar to the Elizabethan playhouse as to Brighton.

Her hippy theme - perfect for music as the food of love - will expand florally in the open air versions for Lewes Castle and Brighton Open Air Theatre next month.

Feste as a girl and Ruth Bailey as Antonio adds to general gender confusion but Ellie Mason is a perfect Fool and sings beautifully whilst Ruth is a pirate.

Twins Cicely Whitehead and Frank McHugh offer charm, spirit and star quality.

Real girls, Olivia and Maria are, real girls, whilst rogue cronies Alistair Birch, Andrew Bird and Joseph Bentley almost overdo baiting poor Steven Adams in stiff necked stance as Malvolio.

Nicholas Farr is an Orsino overdosed on testosterone, but Shakespeare has greatness thrust upon them and they are all having a wonderful time, just like the audience.

* Brighton Little Theatre's Twelfth Night is also at Lewes Castle from Thursday, July 2 to Saturday, July 4, and Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT) in Dyke Road from Thursday, July 9 to Saturday, July 11. Visit www.brightonlittletheatre.com

Four stars