William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at Fairfield Amphitheatre

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at Fairfield Amphitheatre

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Posted 2018-01-20 by Fiona Andersonfollow

Thu 18 Jan 2018 - Sun 28 Jan 2018

I admit it, I was dreading going to the recent preview performance of Twelfth Night at Fairfield Amphitheatre . It had nothing to do with the quality of the production, which I had no doubt, based on my experience of seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream by the same group last year would be first-rate. It was just that as I was driving there, my car thermometer was showing the temperature to be 37 degrees, and I thought it would be very uncomfortable to watch the performance in the outdoor venue.

I needn't have worried. The amphitheatre is situated on the east side of a slight hill, on the banks of the Yarra River. There was no direct sun and a breeze blowing through that was slightly cooled by the Yarra. So it was actually pleasant to be at the location, despite the heat of the day.

The start of the show was slightly delayed. 'Technical issues' director Jack Wilkinson advises us. Well, it is preview night, so it's not surprising there are still a few issues to iron out. And, other than the odd stutter of a radio microphone, there were no obvious issues during the play.

Before reviewing this production, a few words about the plot. To be frank, it's not straightforward. If you're not familiar with the story, it's good to have an understanding of it ahead of the show. There's a diagram in the program that helps to map the relationships between the characters which is useful too.

The play opens with Viola (Chloe Towan) coming ashore after being shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria. She believes her twin brother Sebastian has drowned. She appeals to the ship's captain to disguise her as a boy, taking on the name Cesario. She gains employment as an attendant to Orsino, Duke of Illyria (Vincent Kos).



Orsino is besotted with Olivia (Grace Maddern), a countess. Orsino sends 'Cesario' to visit Olivia with messages of love. Olivia is not interested in Orsino, but develops feelings for 'Cesario'. This makes another suitor for Olivia, Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Jacob Mills) jealous of 'Cesario' and wanting to remove his 'rival'.

Meanwhile, it turns out that Viola's brother Sebastian (Jack Hawkins) has not died in the shipwreck. He turns up in Illyria with his friend and protector Antonio.

Dressed as a boy, 'Cesario' looks very similar to her brother, and they are in fact mistaken for one another in ways that are perplexing to each of them, given that each is unaware their sibling is alive. This leads to some funny (in that very Shakespearean way) scenes involving a marriage, a sword fight, and (unsurprisingly) a rough path to love.



There are side stories around this main plot, the most significant of which involves Malvolio (Tim Ian McMullin), Olivia's steward, who also dotes on his mistress. Olivia's other staff, along with her uncle, the aptly named Sir Toby Belch (Joel Norman-Hade), and his friend Sir Andrew set Malvolio up to believe that Olivia has feelings for him. One can't help but feel sorry for the hapless Malvolio, who is driven crazy when he realises his feelings for Olivia are not reciprocated, and that he has been made to look a fool.



The actors are all wearing custom-made masks in this performance, to more strongly capture the nature of the characters they are taking on.

It's difficult to know where to start when handing out the praise for the actors in this performance. Grace Maddern and Vincent Kos are solid in their pivotal roles of Olivia and Orsino. Maddern has just the right amount of gushy breathlessness as she relentlessly pursues 'Cesario'. Chloe Towan as Violet/Cesario is delightful and plays a convincing role.

The performance of the night for me was by Tim Ian McMullin. He beautifully captures the sneering, unlikeable element of Malvolio's personality, but by the end, has the audience's sympathies because of the unkind treatment he receives. It was a masterful performance of a difficult role.

Jacob Mills plays a most amusing Sir Andrew, more so because it seemed he took up the Aussie ocker accent a notch. A Shakespearean gentleman who talks like an Aussie bloke and seems to enjoy downing a beer made the production all the more relatable.



Finally, I'd like to mention Sean Sully, who proved a very capable musician in providing the pre-show entertainment, but then morphed into the role of Feste, Olivia's clown, and did a great job there too. He was able to use his musical talents throughout the show, including leading the full cast in song for the finale.



In the program, Director Jack Wilkinson indicates that he cast the show in early December. What he and the cast have been able to achieve in just over a month is nothing short of extraordinary. Casting must have been particularly challenging in that there is the need to have two actors who look similar enough to have been mistaken for one another. The Hawkins/Towan combination for Sebastian and Violet is an inspired selection.

I could go on, there were certainly more highlights (such as the cleverly choreographed sword fight scenes), but perhaps I will just say, grab your blankets, cushions, low chairs, insect repellent, picnic and drinks (BYO alcohol permitted) and head on down to the Fairfield Amphitheatre to see the show. It really is a fun night, in a lovely venue, and, if you're not already a fan, may change your thoughts on Shakespeare.

Twelfth Night plays at the Fairfield Amphitheatre (near Fairfield Boathouse, off Heidelberg Road) at 8.00pm each night (except Saturday 20th January) until Sunday 28th January. The box office is open from 7.00pm, and you can buy tickets on the night (subject to availability) or online by clicking here . Tickets are $30 full, $24 concession and $9 child under 16 years.

Note that in the event of a weather cancellation, ticket holders will be contacted by 4.00pm on the day of the performance, and given the opportunity to either select another night or receive a refund.

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!date 18/01/2018 -- 28/01/2018
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104802 - 2023-06-12 11:31:09

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