Paulette Randall’s production of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’, with its vibrant
1940s Brazilian set, is hilariously entertaining and fun for audiences of all
ages. No sooner than when twins Viola and Sebastian are separated by a
ship wreck they are tied up in the story of an island whose inhabitants are in
search of their own love stories. Marcus Powell portrays the victimized
Malvolio brilliantly, with the ability to reduce the audience into fits of laughter
with no more than a change of facial expression. Particularly in the scene
where he finds the letter he believes to be from Olivia whilst Sir Toby and his
friends observe from ridiculous hiding places around the stage. However, with
a running time of 2 hours 20 minutes I feel the interval could have been
positioned at an earlier time in the performance. The perfect way to spend a
chilly autumn evening, a real pick-me-up!
Danielle Hall.
Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy written by Shakespeare, however in this
case directed by Paulette Randall. On the 28th September I saw Twelfth Night
at the Playhouse, although unfortunately it didn't appeal to me as much as I
had hoped. Some aspects of the play such as costume and set design were
brilliant, which I shall write of further in my review.
The plot as a whole was quite hard to understand, which was perhaps due to
the large amount of characters the play consisted of. First of all we meet Viola
who had been shipwrecked in a vicious storm and lost her brother in the mean
time. In order to survive, Viola resorts to disguising as a male named Cesario,
becoming a page in the service of the duke, Orsino, who sends Viola (as
Cesario) with love letters to Olivia. This is where we encounter a slight love
triangle; Viola starts to fall for Orsino, who already loves Olivia, however Olivia
is more interested in Viola (as Cesario).
Meanwhile, we meet the other members of Olivia’s household: her rowdy
drunkard of an uncle, Sir Toby; his foolish friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who
is hopelessly trying to be with Olivia; Olivia’s amusing and pretty friend in
waiting, Maria; Feste, the brainy clown of the house; and Malvolio, the grim,
prudish steward of Olivia’s household.
The stage was used wisely and carefully with realistic props such as palm
trees and a hammock, which were appropriate for the Brazilian setting. The
lighting used also made the setting seem more believable; it was bright and
slightly yellow, adding a sense of sunshine. Due to the use of different levels
on the stage, it appeared bigger than usual and gave the actors more freedom
as they moved around which worked very well. The actors seemed to share
chemistry amongst them and work well together, using their costumes to help
portray themselves to the audience. Despite the fact Twelfth Night is a
Shakespearean play, the costumes were not traditional according to the
typical Shakespeare play which worked interestingly.
A Shakespearean play is expected to be slightly harder to understand and I
feel as though I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had been easier to
comprehend and perhaps not so complicated, but my lack of understanding
could have been due to the fact I haven't yet had chance to experience many
other Shakespearean plays, and so wasn't familiar with the language. In my
opinion Twelfth Night appeals a lot more to people who are familiar with
Shakespeare, rather than a wide range of audiences.
Katherine Twigg
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare is now showing at Nottingham
Playhouse. Performed by the Nottingham Theatre Company and directed by
Paulette Randall, the play runs from September 24th to October 16th.
Synopsis - Twelfth Night is a comedy love story about twins Sebastian and
Viola. When they are shipwrecked they are separated from each other, both
think that then other is dead. Viola disguises herself as a boy to get work.
Sebastian also gets work. After lots of funny scenes there was a surprise
happy ending.
Set Design - The set design was the same all the way through the play. The
mood was changed by clever lighting which made the viewer feel happy or
sad.
Cast - The cast of Twelfth Night were very funny and well dressed in their
costumes. I thought that everyone played their parts very well, especially
Ashley J, Anthony Ofoegbu and Steve Toussaint.
Twelfth Night is the first Shakespeare play I have seen. I wouldn't recommend
it for small children but for everyone else. I would like to see Twelfth Night
again and any other plays directed by Paulette Randall.
Sam Brown - Woodlands School.
Twelfth Night was a very effective and unique play. I’m not a big Shakespeare
fan but would recommend Twelfth Night at the Nottingham Playhouse.
The set design was out of this world, the special effects were very clever and
the choreography was good.
Even though I did not understand the language the acting made up for that it
was very clear what was going on.
Twelfth Night is very well directed comedy that is really enjoyable for any age
group.
I think all the actors did an amazing job.
The lighting was effective made me feel warm, overall really good play.
I would rate it 8/10.
Justine Sharp, 17, Clarendon College
I watched the Twelfth Night on the 28th Sep (opening night). It was originally
written by William Shakespeare, and it was directed by Paulette Randall. The
play is set in 1940s in Brazil. An unconventional setting for a Shakespearean
play, but the exotic and warm feel captivated the audience brilliantly.
The play consists of deep love confusion between numerous characters.
Viola, having survived a shipwreck, in which she thought she lost her brother,
decides to seek service in Illyria disguised as a boy called Cesario as a
servant. But when Orsino (Duke of Illyria) fails to make Olivia accept his love
she mistakenly falls in love with (Cesario /Viola) .The series of events that
follow are quite bizarre. Meanwhile, Sir Toby Belch and Foolish Feste cook up
a devious plan towards stern Malvolio for not finding their amusement act
funny, and the love mix up is revealed and the true identities of those that are
hidden are revealed before nightfall.
The theme of the play was to bring an exotic, Latin American feel towards a
comedic Shakespearean play. I thought it was done extremely well. The
direction of the play was clever and different and a brave approach of doing a
completely different era and setting really paid off and made the play easier to
comprehend as the Shakespearean language wasn’t too prominent. It also
made the play more current to people of my generation. The music was also
mellow and had a relaxing, smooth tone.
The set, props and the design of costumes were fantastic. The design of the
set was so intricate and detailed. The set was imaginative, and really made
the stage like a secluded tropical island. The costumes really reflect the Era
that it was set (1940s).
The smart jackets, top hat and stylish brogues, in contrast to this more causal
clothes, had the same effect like the flamboyant t-shirts and the loafers .The
props were largely incorporated within the play.
The cast did a brilliant job, they stayed in role throughout and they also had
challenging roles to fulfill. The roles were believable. I really enjoyed Marcus
Powell’s’ performance as Malvolio and the way he transformed from an
aristocratic male to a bizarre wayward and delusional mad man, because of
the spiteful acts of others.
The director’s interpretation was interesting and unconventional. I like the
twist with the Brazilian accents, era (1940s) and the costumes. I thought the
fact she actually went to Brazil herself was great, she could bring her own
interpretation of what she personally experienced and show it within the play.
It was a commendable, humorous, enjoyable and a well directed play. I would
recommend this play for anyone who wants a joyous night out and any age
group.
Nicole Lawrence Arnold Hill School
Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s most renowned plays and, as an
aficionado of his work, I can say I was more than delighted to hear that the
Playhouse were putting on one of his best comedies, playing on the issues of
mistaken identities.
Talking to director Paulette Randall pre-show, it was clear that her aim was to
make Shakespeare as accessible to as many walks of the community as
possible. She experienced difficulty herself when she first read the script!
However, on further reading with an open mind, Randall discovered the
beauty of his work and the ease of understanding it. What makes her different
to other directors taking on the immense challenge that is Shakespeare, is
she chose to omit the “waffle” leaving only what was necessary and
comprehensible to be conveyed to the audience. Furthermore, the magical
island that is Illyria, set in the Shakespearean era, becomes Latin America’s
Brazil in the 1940s.
From the moment you enter the auditorium, you are transported to Illyria, i.e.
Brazil, on a day that they are experiencing a thunderstorm. The lights flash,
the auditorium trembles with the thunder and the stage looks dark and
miserable. And then the play commences with a bright and upbeat song- yes,
complete juxtaposition. Although the atmosphere had had the audience on the
show’s side, the song had people muttering amongst themselves as to what
was occurring and its relevance.
Another addition to the play is the Brazilian art Capoeira which adds to the
modernisation of the play and is used effectively to symbolise the fights which
are meant to be occurring.
The play saw strong performances by Marcus Powell as Malvolio, who had
the extremely difficult role of having to remain highly serious throughout the
piece, even when opposed by the most comic character, Sir Toby Belch
played by David Webber. Webber encompasses everything that is
Shakespearean comedy whilst making it relevant to young audiences of the
modern day.
I was disappointed with the songs at the beginning and end of the play as I
couldn’t see their relevance.
Overall, it makes for an enjoyable evening at the theatre if you wish
understand the play further in depth, but in terms of entertainment, it has its
highs but also disappoints at times.
Anisah Osman Britton Bilborough College
William Shakespeare’s comical performances of ‘Twelfth Night’ (directed by
Paulette Randall) are hitting the stage of the Nottingham Playhouse between
24th September and 16th October. This new contemporary interpretation of
Viola and Sebastian’s adventure and strife to find each other on an island
after a ship wreck is set in 1940s Brazil with the amazing, bright and colourful
setting and scenery to complement the mood of the every relaxed Brazilian
frame of mind. The mixture of talented Black cast members also added to the
authenticity of the piece. Even though the dialogue is in the original
Shakespearian text, the movement and the physicality of the performers make
it clear to the audience to understand what is occurring onstage. Due to
Randall’s fantastic comical direction some of the characters are portrayed in a
very humours way, for example Malvolio and Andrew, thus making it more
enjoyable for the audience to refer to. I would recommend this to teenagers
due to the fact that I think children would not understand the language being
used. However young people shouldn’t frown away from this production
because it is brought to life in a very pleasurable way. I recommend seeing it
for a good laugh – especially in the second half.
By Lizzy Whynes, Bilborough College
A storm strikes at Nottingham Playhouse as they stage their new adaptation
of William Shakespeare's classic comedy 'Twelfth Night', with a tropical twist!
When almost identical twins Viola and Sebastian are left shipwrecked on the
balmy coast of Brazil, a tornado of practical jokes and love triangles begin to
stir. Director Paulette Randall, substitutes Shakespeare's 'Illyria' for the
relaxed scene of 1940's Brazil, and achieves her aim of 'the whole audience
knowing exactly what is going on throughout.' Libby Watson's tropical set is
bought to life by beautiful warm lighting, and the whole audience feel the
scorching Latin-American climate. Hilarious performances from Marcus
Powell's and Seun Shote's two unforgettable characters (Malvolio and
Antonio), spark the audience's continuous giggles. The show runs for two
hours and twenty minutes, and is perfect for anybody age twelve plus who is
looking for a cheerful night full of laughter!
Bea Findley, The Becket Scool
Twelfth Night, directed by Paulette Randall, was not conventional
Shakespeare as I know it, and was a very enjoyable show. Randall has never
directed a Shakespeare before, but this only showed in her lack of
indoctrination to RSC style holy writ. Some scenes were moved around, and a
few fair whacks of script were cut. The really famous scenes were untouched,
we got our “better a witty fool” and our “If music be the food of love”, but a
certain amount of Shakespeare’s poetry was lost, but not without gain; it is
fairly unique and refreshing to go to a Shakespeare performance and be able
to say that you understood every single word and line.
The setting was the headline selling point, and exotic Brazil was almost
perfectly brought onto the stage (designer Libby Watson) in a very good set
design. It was clear that the cast loved performing on the set, and the overall
vibrancy of the show stemmed from this setting. It was also clear that Randall
and the whole creative team had a strong sense of the importance of the
place, with the costume, dance and fight scenes all having a strong whiff of
the carnival about them.
If there was a flaw, (other than the occasional case of wandering
accent) it was that the strength of the minor characters outshone those that
should have taken centre stage. Marcus Powell as Malvolio being perhaps the
funniest character, beautifully portraying the transition from stern
schoolmaster, to babbling fool, and the entire comic cast was extremely
strong, perhaps something to be expected of a production of one of the
world’s best known comedies. However this did make the more serious
characters simply less engaging.
In general, the quality of the narrative and the comedy were not
affected by the approach, and overall were enhanced by it. The setting and
characters were strong and this lead to a production that was funny, and
simply enjoyable to watch. Perhaps not for anyone who reads a passage from
“the complete works” every night, but well worth seeing for anyone else.
Tim McConnell, Chilwell Comprehensive
Paulette Randall directs a hilarious version of Shakespeare's classic comedy,
Twelfth Night. Setting the play in 1940's Brazil, in this world; no virtues were
hidden here. The simple yet stunning scenery put the audience straight in the
action as they could practically feel the heat. The acting in particular was
practically perfect. Highlights included Marcus Powell as Malvolio, being both
scarily stern and ridiculously jolly, and of course, the fabulously camp
portrayal of Antonio by Seun Shote completely stole the show, making what
was originally a supporting role into the most memorable character. The
music was catchy and fun without being too overbearing. The fight music in
particular added to the scenes. On the whole, Twelfth Night is a hysterical
adaptation of a Shakespeare classic. My verdict: Play on.
Sarah Ahmad, Nottingham High School for Girls
This adaptation of Twelfth Night is a jolly play, full of colour and a set that was
a beautiful portrayal of what you would imagine Brazil to look like. This
strange but entertaining twist on a Shakespeare play was humorous but not in
the way I expected. The funniest moments were when there was an exchange
of expression rather than the text itself and this could have been down to the
combination of character accent and Shakespearean language. I particularly
enjoyed the character of Antonio played by Seun Shote, who took on his role
wonderfully and did it justice. He was very good with little reactions that he
cleverly made subtle but in a way that the audience still noticed. The play was
directed by Paulette Randall and even after meeting her for only about 10
minutes I could tell she has a true passion for her work and she put her
vibrant energy into Twelfth Night. Apart from the song at the end that I did not
fully understand the purpose of, it is a sweet and pleasant play.
Gemma Caseley-Kirk
Having experienced Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on many occasions
throughout both education and for entertainment, I was of course aware that
the play is a comedy. However, even the knowledge of this and
Shakespeare’s skill for writing comedies did not prepare me for this
production. It had me in stitches from beginning to end, with exactly the right
touches to make it even more accessible to a modern audience while still
retaining Shakespeare’s writing.
Each of the parts were hugely well acted; each one had the audience fully
aware of both their presence and their thoughts and motives throughout which
was especially effective in the scenes with plots against Malvolio. The
enjoyment of the characters in their actions was reflected and therefore felt by
the audience, which fuelled our enjoyment of the performance as a whole.
Throughout the adaptation was a sense of fun which really involved the
audience and thoroughly increased their sense of inclusion and enjoyment.
There were certain differences in this adaptation which took nothing from
Shakespeare’s original meaning but, in my opinion, added greatly to the
show. One such change was the decision to set the play in Brazil. The warm
lighting which was in place to give a sensation of the heat felt and endured by
the characters was effective and realistic; the audience felt like they were
really there with the characters. This change in setting also allowed for other
extras to be added in, again, enhancing the piece drastically in my opinion.
This included the different costumes worn by the characters; the bright
colours added a sense of fun, colour and excitement which, for me,
emphasised the humour and overall fun quality of the piece. The use of music
was also effective, as it both reflected the chosen setting and again the fun
and humorous nature of the production.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the production; it was lively and entertaining, and
had me interested and on the edge of my seat throughout, despite the
obvious issue of already knowing what was going to happen. I have
recommended the play to several of my friends, and I would recommend it to
anyone else. One of the best shows I’ve seen in a while.
Holly Morrall, Nottingham High School for Girls
Olivia. Her ebony hair cascaded down her elegant dress, cheekbones defined
and irises ablaze with scarlet flames. Her letter was passionate and earnest,
expressing her desire for my smile, my yellow stockings. The slightest
comment she made I smiled in vain to please her yet she eyed me with
profound uncertainty. Though it was apparent my smile did little to arouse her,
her letter stated otherwise and I was intent on satisfying her. I longed to be
not only a steward, but a lover, yet however was I to capture her attention?
Each time she happened to look in the direction I stood this gave me an
opportunity to admire her- every command she gave I attended to with
pleasure. Many times I have refrained from grasping her hand and
proclaiming my love for her candidly, however I am merely Malvolio, the
sombre, pompous, self-inflated steward, am I not?
Cait Anne May Ramsden
On Tuesday 28th September, Nottingham Playhouse played host to Paulette
Randall’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Twelfth Night tells the story of twins who are separated in a shipwreck, and
eventually reunite, but not until many months of confusion, mistaken identity
and falling in love with different people have passed.
Set in 1940’s Brazil, this adaptation promised dancing, Capoeira, poetry and
romance, and delivered all four in a satisfying and entertaining 2 hour
production. The 12-strong cast were excellent, and the performance of
Nicholai La Barrie (as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a hilarious fool), and Marcus
Powell (as Malvolio, the stumbling butler) provided the show with lots of comic
relief. Also, Marcus Powell must be commended for carrying off yellow
stockings and a colourful jumper so well!! The acting was extremely
believable, sometimes making the cast themselves laugh.
My favourite moment has to be the introduction of Sebastian and Antonio,
Seun Shote displaying a wonderful amount of love towards Sebastian as
Antonio, enough to risk his life in Orsino’s court! His facial expressions
ensured that the audience felt a lot of sympathy for him, especially when
Olivia and Sebastian shared a kiss.
Overall, I enjoyed this production, and would recommend it to anyone,
whatever their views of Shakespeare .I would love to be able to see this play
again, as I’m sure the second time round, it would be even funnier!
Bronwen Webster, Bluecoat School
Don’t let the language put you off, ‘Twelfth Night’ is a play worth watching.
On Tuesday the 28th of September 2010 I watched the vibrant ‘Twelfth Night’
directed by Paulette Randall - originally written by William Shakespeare – at
the Nottingham Playhouse.
This colourful comedy is based around Viola (Rebecca Herod) who has been
separated by her twin brother Sebastian (Curtis Cole) when she was
shipwrecked in Illyria. Viola assumes the disguise of a boy named Cesario as
protection, becoming a page to Duke Orsino (Steve Toussaint). The main plot
and two sub-plots are entangled together by a puzzling web of love between
the majority of the characters. Thereby mismatched love is a big theme of the
play, for example when Malvolio (Marcus Powell) falls for Olivia, after thinking
that she is head over heels for him, bearing in mind that Orsino also has
feelings for her. The actors portrayed the characters feelings for one another
highlighting the theme. Comedy through mistaken identity is also another
theme seen throughout the play such as the twins are mistaken for one
another with some odd consequences - but I won’t spoil what they are.
Despite the actors not resembling one another the theme was brought out
perfectly through the direction the actors received. Paulette Randall has
transformed Illyria to Pelourinho and with help from designer Libby Watson;
they have brought the warmth and magic of Brazil to the stage. From the
stone steps leading down from Olivia’s house; to the palm trees and
hammock swaying in the wind, the set is idyllic. Grass is on the stage floor
and wooden walk ways make the performance 3 dimensional, all enhancing
the atmosphere with help of the great lighting. The yellow lights make the
overall mood relaxed and comfortable pulling the audience in. My favourite
moments have to be the singing and dancing scenes. It is so magnetic to
watch, making you want to jump out of your seat and join in. You are chilled in
awe as the mix of lights, sound and dance make for fantastic scenes. I
thought that the only downfall throughout the performance was that
sometimes the Jamaican accents can be a bit too strong to understand, but
this was very rarely and can easily be fixed with better diction.
I thought the directors interpretation suited the performance to a T. Paulette
Randall cut out any irrelevance the original script had for today’s audience,
wanting to make her interpretation of Shakespeare’s work fun not
intellectual... and trust me, it worked. Paulette Randall wanted to make the
performance her own; she totally succeeded. I certainly enjoyed ‘Twelfth
Night’ because of the constant pace and twist and turn throughout the play. I
would recommend anyone from about 15years upwards to see the
performance as the Shakespearian language can be quite off putting for
younger people. Paulette Randall is such a bubbly infectious person, who
herself shone through the performance, that I would definitely watch another
play of hers.
Charlotte Winterburn, The Kimberley School Sixth Form