Broadbent Theatre Past Production: Twelfth Night

The twelfth night after Christmas is Epiphany, the last night of the season and the traditional time to take down the decorations. In Shakespeare's England it was in itself another festive holiday, a day of revelry when some of the social rules could be safely ignored. Servants dressed up as their masters, men as women and so forth, an important basis for the shenanigans of the play.

Sir Toby and Sir Andrew interrupt the night with raucous singing and merry making. Malvolio, a priggish puritan, finds this illogical and disturbing and, as a result, is thought mad by his friends and locked up in solitary confinement. Twelfth Night is probably Shakespeare's greatest comedy but the play does have a darker side: there has been a shipwreck, the twins are separated, Viola does believe her brother is dead, Olivia's father and brother have died, Malvolio must be mad - and, despite Shakespeare's recommendations to lighten-up and when all is happiness and celebration, the play ends with a song telling us that storms are only to be expected!

Cast
Orsino, Duke of Illyria	Paul Martin
Valentine, the Duke's gentleman & second officer	Clare Richardson
Curio, another of the Dukes gentlemen & first officer	Gail Dennis
Attendant to the Duke	Tony Sims
Olivia, a lady	Thirzah Jennings
Maria, Olivia's gentlewoman	Christine Hughes
Fabian, servant to Olivia	Holly McHugh
Feste, the jester	Ruth Andrews
Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's uncle	Maurice Raphael
Sir Andrew Aguecheek, friend of Sir Toby	Dave Lintin
Malvolio, steward to Olivia	Martin Noble
Viola (Cesario), sister to Sebastian	Victoria Bankes Price
Sebastian, brother to Viola	Dave Asher-Railton
Antonio, a sea captain friend of Sebastian	Robert Dennis
A Sea Captain, friend of Viola & servant	Chris Matthews
Priest	Ben Martin

Crew
Front of House	Trevor Minett
Lighting Technician	Peter Langston
Poster Design	Peter Langston