Twelfth Night at the Tricycle Theatre

Twelfth Night at the Tricycle Theatre

05 September, 2008
by: Haggette

'If music be the food of love, then play on'. And so kicks off Filter's production of Twelfth Night. This isn't exactly a modernised adaptation of the play as much as it is simply an adaptation, a wonderfully irreverent one that involves a musical breeding of beatnik, Twin Peaks-style jazz and '60s bubblegum dance-pop.

The level of audience participation is almost manipulative – particularly Andrew and Toby's drunken party, which becomes a shared revelry, with balls being tossed onto Velcro-ed heads (incidentally, that game is called 'Butt Head' but I couldn't find a way to use that casually in a sentence without sounding rude), boxes of pizza tossed into the theatre, dancing in the aisles, etc. And so, when the puritanical Malvolio abruptly ends the party, the entire theatre shares the disappointment.

A brilliant performance is given by Ferdy Roberts as Malvolio. Shakespeare's thin line between tragedy and comedy is never as apparent as in the revenge played on the pompous Malvolio, who is convinced by Toby and Andrew that Olivia is in love with him (and that she likes him in nothin' but yellow tube socks, tight pants and a smile). Olivia then believes he has gone insane and sends him to the asylum. Malvolio's tortured cries, his ignorance of being made a fool, are horribly sad.

It becomes confusing, at times, when single actors take on several roles, though Poppy Miller, who plays both Viola and Sebastian, handles it cleverly. As Viola, her tortured love for Orsino is heartfelt and moving and her shift into being Sebastian is subtle. In the end, she is hand-in-hand with both Olivia and Orsino, kissing one, then turning to kiss the other. As well as being a bit naughty, this seems to celebrate a perfect union for the Viola/Sebastian hybrid, for the single body with alternating desires and facets. Ultimately, what is wonderful about Sean Holmes' production is the balance of heartbreak and tragedy, joy and comedy, with an unexpected mix of sensitivity and reckless fun.

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Haggette