• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Ed Fringe

Twelfth Night at the Hope Theatre

April 15, 2016 by Fergus Morgan Leave a Comment

Review of: Twelfth Night at the Hope Theatre
Produced by:
Thick As Thieves
Price:
£14/12

Reviewed by: Fergus Morgan
Rating:
4
On April 15, 2016
Last modified:April 15, 2016

Summary:

Thick As Thieves four-man Twelfth Night is a warm, intimate, novelty Shakespeare experience.

More Details

Twelfth Night, written in the early seventeenth century, is perhaps Shakespeare’s most-loved comedy, hence the plethora of London productions scheduled in this Bard-stuffed year. It looks back towards his early comedies with its separated twins and cross-dressing, while also prefiguring later romances like The Winter’s Tale and Pericles with its long-awaited reunions and happy pairing up of lovers. Thick As Thieves’ production, with a cast of just four, plays it purely for the funny. Their Twelfth Night is a breathless showcase of verve and versatility.

Twelfth Night, Hope Theatre - Review 2

Like a travelling group of players in Jacobean times, the minimal cast eschew all seriousness in favour of an endearing self-awareness and a joyous pursuit of laughs, whether in the text or not. The production’s seams begin to burst when the farcical action reaches a head and there are more characters on stage than cast-members, but the swift, exaggeratedly hasty costume changes are all part of the fun. This is a warm, intimate, novelty Shakespeare experience that all can enjoy.

Nicky Diss, Thomas Judd, Oliver Lavery and Madeleine MacMahon all multi-role impressively. MacMahon, switching from saucy barmaid Maria to a snuffling, grubby Antonio to a frosty, blithely sarcastic Olivia, is particularly proficient. She even manages to squeeze in a healthy dose of character development, her Olivia smoothly defrosting into a love-struck schoolgirl upon the sight of Diss’ disguised Viola.

Lavery shuffles enjoyably between a dreadlocked troubadour of a Feste and an austere yet slimy Malvolio, and Judd does equally well as a despairing – if a little dull – Orsino and a half-witted, upper-class Aguecheek. Diss, as Viola and a bombastic, blustering Belch is a consistently funny presence.

The small cast, swift costume changes and frequent asides emphasise the farcical side of the play, and in all the confusion-fuelled mayhem, some of Shakespeare’s more subtle emotional melodies are lost. There is little pathos to Malvolio’s ill-founded superiority, and his eventual ridicule – partly due to certain speeches having to be shuffled between characters – has no ugly undercurrent of stigmatisation. One never feels as though Belch and Aguecheek have gone too far.

The upside to this constantly cheery vibe is that the audience is very much on the performers’ side throughout. When lines are fluffed and costume changes messed-up, any awkwardness or hostility is easily dispelled by the cast’s charming self-deprecation. ‘We know we are doing something silly’, they all but say, ‘but come along for the ride and we’ll all have a good time’. And, frankly, in the cosy confines of The Hope Theatre’s 50-seat performance space, the mumble of the pub below bubbling up through the floor, pint in hand, it is impossible not to.

Twelfth Night will be continuing its run at The Hope Theatre until 30th April at 19:45 every day except Sundays and Mondays. You can book your tickets from 0333 666 3366 or https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/117477

CAST AND CREW

Director: Nicky Diss
Producer: Thomas Judd
Stage Manager: Ariel Harrison
Composer and Musical Director: David Knight
Lighting Designer: Kirsten Buckmaster
Casting Director: Jane Frisby
Cast: Nicky Diss, Thomas Judd, Oliver Lavery, Madeleine MacMahon

Avatar

Author: Fergus Morgan

Filed Under: Review Tagged With: Shakespeare, The Hope Theatre, Thick As Thieves, Twelfth Night

Join the discussion Cancel reply

NEWS / Living Record Festival of digital arts announces programme

Living Record Festival is a month-long Digital Arts Festival curating and presenting over 40 original pieces from a range of [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Open Bar on A ChristMESS CAROL

Tell us about Open Bar Theatre and also how you came about and how the name came about. OBT: Open Bar [Read More]

NEWS / Ayomide Adegun awarded The Luke Westlake Scholarship 2020

22 year old South Londoner Ayomide Adegun is currently in his 2nd year of the BA Acting course at Royal [Read More]

NEWS / Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels announced

A new play repurposed for online viewing from the creative team behind Scrounger, and the first of the Finborough Theatre’s [Read More]

NEWS / Crimes Against Christmas becomes an audio advent calendar

Typically at this time of year theatre company New Old Friends would have just finished an Autumn tour and be [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Reality TV Auditions
  • Katy Owen: Auditioning for Oxford School of Drama
  • 5 Stage Elements to Consider for a Rousing Theatrical Production
  • Is this the real location of Ambridge?
  • Does Small to Mid Scale Theatre Touring Actually Work?
  • Katy Owen: LAMDA Audition (First Round)
  • Interview with John Ward, director of Electra at the Bunker Theatre
  • Crowdfunding In Theatre - An Overview
  • Jane Eyre at the National Theatre
  • Yasmin Paige on Actually
  • Avatar

    Fergus Morgan
    Contributor

  • April 15th, 2016
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2021 · Blue Pie Media

    Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

    Email sent!