TWELFTH NIGHT. To 26 March.

Colchester

TWELFTH NIGHT
by William Shakespeare

Mercury Theatre To 26 March 2005
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat 24 March 2pm
Runs 2hr 50min One interval

TICKETS: 01206 573948
www.mercurytheatre.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 21 March

Showing it's no easy life being lost or in love.This production is both inspiring and frustrating. Sara Perks sets it on two flat concentric discs topped by a smaller inclined one reflected by a moon-like disc behind. Apart from that, just a small frame with chairs hanging from it.

A dark suited, bowler-hatted Clown appears and cast members shake the translucent cloth covering the small stage disc as other make sea noises and a tiny boat is waved about aloft. It's all about to become the triumph of theatrical extravagance over dramatic necessity when two shapes are picked out under the cloth by lights a vivid image of drowning that leads into the second scene. This is followed by the first scene, subverting Shakespeare's opening picture of a static society before introducing Viola as a dynamic new element.

No wilting prince, David Tarkenter's Orsino is discovered practising boxing and later shows smartness and humour, beside his frustration with Olivia. Anxiety's on show throughout; it fuels Gina Isaac's Viola in a clear performance that only misses the clarion assertiveness Viola manages even in her ordeal.

Anxiety even strikes Sir Toby, worried his niece might turn him out. Malvolio seems too self-assured to suffer. But eventually, confined in a tiny cage, he's subject to the most severe stress of any. Roger Delves-Broughton has great fun like the audience with the posturing of a character later cabined, cribbed, confined; his throwing of the letter pleading for release from his cage on high beautifully echoes his finding the forged letter which lead to his disgrace. He also has a supreme comic moment: an auto-debagging from the finery that defines his ridiculousness.

The production has excesses Viola talks too much to the audience; Ignatius Anthony's generally smart Feste tries unsuccessful ad libs (they never work in Shakespeare). But Rosalind Philips is a strong Olivia (though the device of hiding her behind a huge sunshade on first meeting Cesario falls flat). Best of all is Christine Absalom's Maria, combining fresh naturalism with sensitivity to verse. Absalom's as fine an actor as many regularly seen in the most classy companies. Never mind; it's Colchester's gain.

Viola: Gina Isaac
Sea Captain/Antonio: Victor Gardener
Orsino: David Tarkenter
Sir Andrew Aguecheek: Colm Gormley
Fabian: Colin Kilbride
Sir Toby Belch: Keith Drinkel
Maria: Christine Absalom
Feste: Ignatius Anthony
Olivia: Rosalind Philips
Malvolio: Roger Delves-Broughton
Sebastian: Matthew Parish

Directors: Dee Evans/Nicola Rosewarne
Designer: Sara Perks
Lighting: Robin Carter
Composer: Julian Evans
Fight director: Richard Ryan

2005-03-22 02:20:11