| “If Music Be the Food of Love.." |
At Theatr Clwyd |
| Twelfth Night- Review Compilation , Theatr Clwyd & Sherman Theatre , May 29, 2026 |
Those who were at the production of “Twelfth Night” liked it. From British Theatre Guide: “This bold, contemporary staging reimagines the Bard's beloved comedy as a queer escapade, placing identity, desire and delicious mischief centre stage. The result is a production brimming with ambition and visual flair, anchored by some exceptional performances, though it occasionally struggles to weave all its threads into a fully unified whole. “Where many productions of Twelfth Night allow queerness to shimmer just beneath the surface of the text, Manon's direction brings it firmly into the spotlight. The most significant creative choice is the reimagining of Viola's journey through the character of Cesario, played by Lee Braithwaite, as explicitly trans. Rather than treating Viola's disguise as a simple plot mechanism, this production uses it to explore the lived experience of gender identity with genuine depth and sensitivity. “...These choices are conceptually rich and often visually striking, giving the production a distinctive identity that sets it apart from more conventional stagings. However, the density of ideas at play means the production occasionally risks losing its audience. There are moments where the conceptual ambition outpaces the emotional clarity that Shakespeare's storytelling demands, and the resulting chaos extends beyond the romantic confusions that drive the plot.” “...The ensemble embraces the play's more raucous elements with gusto. A particular standout is Lucy Ellinson's gender-swapped Lady Toby Belch, a gleefully anarchic presence who plots to humiliate the household's priggish manservant. That manservant, Malvolio, is brilliantly realised by Phylip Harries, who makes a gold-sequinned suit into the stuff of pure theatrical spectacle. The gulling of Malvolio remains one of Shakespeare's most reliable comic set pieces, and this production delivers it with real relish. Arwel Gruffydd also contributes ethereal vocals that add an otherworldly quality to the proceedings, lending the production a sense of dreamlike beauty in its quieter passages.” Abridged, with thanks and acknowledgement, from the full review which can be read at: https://britishtheatre.com/posts/twelfth-night-at-theatr-clwyd-review * * * * From whatsonstage: “Manon’s depiction foregrounds queerness not as subtext but as a centrepiece, particularly through the reimagining of Viola via Cesario (Lee Braithwaite) as a trans character, alongside the relationship between Sebastian and Antonio. The result is visually striking and conceptually rich, but not always entirely cohesive. “At times, the production struggles to balance its ideas with the emotional clarity of Shakespeare’s storytelling, as chaos extends beyond romance. The narrative finds its strongest footing in the performances of Braithwaite and Bethan Rose Young (as Countess Olivia), while Olivia’s household becomes a stage for drunken revelry and cruel tricks. “Braithwaite delivers a masterclass in acting, bringing a magnetic charm to his role and navigating the character’s complexities with ease. He allows the character to take form through honest interpretation and emotionally grounded delivery. Elsewhere, the ensemble leans into the play’s shenanigans, embracing the humour and absurdity that define Twelfth Night. “A standout comedic turn comes from Lucy Ellinson as the gender-swapped Lady Toby Belch, who plots to humiliate the manservant Malvolio, brilliantly brought to life by Phylip Harries – a spectacle in his gold-sequinned suit. Abridged, with thanks and acknowledgement, from the full review which can be read at: https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/twelfth-night-at-theatr-clwyd-review_1720156/ * * * * From Theatre Reviews North: “The company's rationale is "to connect a classic play to urgent contemporary conversations about visibility and acceptance". Twelfth Night is essentially a farce with a love triangle between Duke Orsino (Garmon Rhys), Countess Olivia (Bethan Rose Young) and Viola (Lee Braithwaite) at its heart, the last of whom, after being shipwrecked with her twin brother Sebastian (Jax Guerrero), takes on a male identity, Cesario. “The shenanigans that unfold from this set-up offer plenty of tomfoolery. Lady Toby (Lucy Ellison), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Joseph Benjamin Baker) and Maria (Philippa Cole) target the pompous Malvolio (Phylip Harries) to hilarious effect. As the climax unfolds, several couples emerge, Sebastian and Antonio (Oncel Camci), who rescued him from the shipwreck; Lady Toby and Maria, then Olivia and Cesario, who here comes out as a trans man. “It takes a while for the comedy to warm up; after all, an audience needs time to get accustomed to Shakespeare’s rhythms, which remain largely unchanged in this production and are spoken most clearly by Bethan Rose Young (Olivia) and and Philippa Cole (Maria). Many scenes are both imaginative and very funny, including where Malvolio receives the forged letter saying Olivia loves him, and dresses in a gold lame suit to impress her but instead finds himself locked up as a madman.” “But by pointing the play at a specific gender discussion, making all successful relationships queer, the production ignores the importance of women and of so-called outsiders. In the original, Viola assumes a male identity so she can fend for herself, but ends up in a relationship with a duke. Not bad for a female and a foreigner! Originally, Olivia gets a love match with an outsider despite the entreaties of a powerful man. In promoting the interests of one group that is discriminated against, the production forgets the trials of other groups, also discriminated against. Sometimes the Bard’s stories need to be left to speak for themselves.” Abridged, with thanks and acknowledgement, from the full review which can be read at: https://www.theatrereviewsnorth.com/post/twelfth-night-1 * * * * From North West End: “If music be the food of love play on” “And we definitely do play- with relationships, with the audience, and in a clever twist, with the conclusion. Directed by Juliette Manon, this adaptation leans into the complications that come from “mistaken identities” and focuses on the concept of “identity” itself. “In a genius move, Cesario (Lee Braithwaite), is played as a trans character who journeys through the piece exploring their new sense of self. Washing up on the shore of Ilyria, they literally break free from their dress and begin living openly as a man. In the original, this is simply a way of entering Osario’s court (as women could not do so), but this gives much more poignancy and freedom to their choice. “Following this narrative concept, the entanglements of love and complications of relationships that follow on (that Shakespeare intended), still work, and I’d offer, work more coherently. The nods to homoerotic lust can openly be highlighted and celebrated. “Being reborn from the sea, Cesario’s possibilities in this land are endless. The joyful revelations of Braithwaite are as bright and sparky as the chandelier that adorns the stage.” Abridged, with thanks and acknowledgement, from the full review which can be read at: https://northwestend.com/twelfth-night-theatr-clwyd/ |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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