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TWELFTH NIGHT “TWELFTH NIGHT” OPENS 2008 BARD SEASON Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival opens its 19h season with the romantic comedy Twelfth Night. It plays Tuesdays through Sundays in the 520-seat open-ended Mainstage tent in Vanier Park from May 29 through September 27, 2008. David Mackay returns to direct following his successful staging of Troilus and Cressida in 2006. When twins Sebastian and Viola are shipwrecked, disguise, mistaken identities and misplaced affections result in a delightful tangle of romance. David Mackay situates this tale of mistaken identities in the 1920’s in a stylized, romanticized homage to old Hollywood films. The action takes place in Orsino’s New York penthouse apartment, Olivia’s townhouse and Central Park as the wealthy pursue affairs of the heart. Viola (Lois Anderson) finds herself shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria. Convinced her twin brother has drowned, she disguises herself as the page Cesario and offers her services to the Duke Orsino (Todd Talbot), only to find herself in love with him. Orsino, however, is in love with the beautiful Countess Olivia (Melissa Poll) and sends Cesario to woo her on his behalf. Olivia in turn becomes smitten with the lovely 'boy'. Olivia's kinsman, Sir Toby Belch (David Marr), encourages Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Ryan Beil) to continue his suit for the Countess, as Aguecheek’s wealth supports Sir Toby’s carousing with Olivia's Fool, Feste (Scott Bellis). When Olivia's steward, Malvolio (Andrew Wheeler), threatens to have them all sent away, Maria (Tiffany Lyndall-Knight), Olivia's maid, plots Malvolio's downfall with a cryptic love letter to him from Olivia. Meanwhile Viola's twin brother, Sebastian (Robert Moloney), has been saved by a mariner named Antonio (Gerry Mackay). After a series of mistaken identities, twin sister and brother finally come face to face, revealing Cesario's true identity and the numerous cases of misplaced affection. Rounding out this myriad world of the 1920’s are Patti Allan, Gaelan Beatty, Lopa Sircar and Christopher Weddell as the Barbershop Quartet. For the Mainstage tent, set designer David Roberts has crafted an Art Deco-inspired stage that takes us from Olivia’s NY penthouse to Central Park using a bridge structure inspired by the nearby Burrard Bridge. Costume designer Mara Gottler has created a world hanging on the black and white film era, with each of the characters reflecting one or more personae from the period. Composer and arranger Murray Price threads music from the giddy 1920’s throughout the action mirroring the convergence of jazz, blues and vaudeville. Gerald King’s lighting emphasizes this dance of mistaken identities while Jamie Nesbitt’s projection design supports the 1920s film concept. Stage Manager Stephen Courtenay is assisted by Kelly Barker (Assistant Stage Manager) and Sarah Pearson (Apprentice Stage Manager).
Performance details for Twelfth Night are as follows:
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