Twelfth Night, Illyria Outdoor Theatre Review

★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Hollie

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

Sitting in the beautiful Winterbourne Gardens with a picnic, the sun streaming overhead and the birds tweeting, it was hard not to feel mesmerised from the beginning, by the backdrop of Illyria’s outdoor theatre production of Twelfth Night. An audience of families, students, and adults were able to settle down with their pimms and prosecco and enjoy this hilariously funny production.

Five seasoned actors play various different roles in William Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy. The cast of actors were chosen exceptionally well and portrayed their respective characters with humour throughout the show. The scene is set with the balcony and stairs almost becoming another character and the authentic costumes and use of witty humour throughout meant that the performance was accessible for a modern audience and laughter could be heard throughout the show.

Twelfth Night is the tale of twins Viola and Sebastian who are separated in a shipwreck. The change of costumes signals the change in characters here, as Viola disguises herself as the page Cesario and falls in love with the Duke Orsino. But, with any classic love story there is a love triangle as Duke Orsino falls in love with Countess Olivia. Viola loves Duke Orsino, Duke Orsino loves Olivia and Olivia loves Viola who is disguised as Cesario.

The play is set in Illyria, an ancient region of the Western Balkans and the use of the scenery adds to the romantic theme of the play. Twelfth Night is very different from Shakespeare’s famous tragedies Julius Caesar, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet and this show is suitable for all ages and perfect for a family evening out. Although they were using Shakespeare’s original words, this production is appealing for a modern audience.

Shakespeare’s classic words are interspersed with singing and the use of musical instruments such as the violin and the trusty triangle which provide powerful sound effects. The song sung by the trio together was brilliant and the cast are very good singers as well as actors.

Against the stunning sunset, there were many laugh out loud moments from the audience, and the introduction of the policeman towards the end of the show made the younger members of the audience laugh joyfully.

The actors really make the show and I would love to see which productions they are in next and what they could bring to different roles and shows.

Even if you aren’t particularly a fan of Shakespeare or you don’t know the story of Twelfth Night, I would highly recommend this show to anybody as an enjoyable night out in the sunshine.

Illyria continues to tour this production of Twelfth Night across the country until September at venues including The Minack Theatre, Arundel Castle and Stowe House.

Illyria is also touring throughout the country with their productions of Robin Hood and Pride and Prejudice. It has been a delight to work alongside Illyria and we look forward to reviewing their shows in the future!