Twelfth Night, or What You Will

Nicholas Hytner's production of "Twelfth Night" was performed in the summer of '98 at Lincoln Center in New York. I was lucky enough to see the play (from the front row), and it was spellbinding. The TV version (broadcast on PBS' "Live From Lincoln Center") was just as magical. It's a very funny play, and the incredible lighting, sets and music (especially Feste's songs) make it an experience I'll always remember.

We won't go into the screenplay here...we're talking Shakespeare, after all. Now, the sets were very sparse, but then, this was live theater. So what can you criticise? The casting!!!

Paul Rudd is wonderful, just masculine and sexy and totally at ease with his dialogue and his role. I couldn't take my eyes off him when he was present, and missed him tremendously when he wasn't on stage.

But Helen Hunt? Whose idea was it to cast this brittle, TV-groomed actress in such a demanding role? The poor woman doesn't pull it off. She seemed to stamp around the stage like she was lost, that terrible wondering frown on her face making it look like she was trying to keep her lines straight. The magnificent Mr. Rudd looking twice at the asexual Miss Hunt? I don't think so. Their mismatching ruined what would have been a great presentation of this classic.

I'd still watch it again, though, for Paul Rudd.

Creatively relocated to the orient, this Illyria stage comes across fairly well on screen. However, one of Shakespeare's meatiest female roles, Viola, is flaccidly and awkwardly occupied by Helen Hunt. Ms. Hunt, although very good in films such as "As Good As it Gets," simply stumbles on the language, allowing it to completely overwhelm any humor or drama that might eke out of her performance. This is a very mature comedy, the holiday of Twelfth Night itself a metaphor for the humor in the play that eventually sates and then sickens the audience. I recommend the recent film version starring Ben Kingsley and Helena Bonham Carter for a first-time viewing of Twelfth Night. After all, there is only one first time.

Have appreciated Shakespeare's work for a long time. 'Twelfth Night' was one of my first Shakespeare plays. Actually along with 'Macbeth' it was the play that introduced me to and got me into his plays, through reading the text out loud in English class, while analysing the language as we went along. As a young adult, it's still one of my favourites of his. The story is complicated but lots of fun and charming, it has heart, memorable characters and moments and a lot of quotable lines.

There are a lot of very worthy and even brilliant productions of 'Twelfth Night'. Personally haven't actually seen a bad one, even if there are productions that do things differently (including a female Malvolio in one production that was done brilliantly) and don't completely succeed (including the Royal Shakespeare Company expanding Viola's role at the expense of Feste). This one for me is one of the best versions, it's just so exuberant and joyful and such a much needed breath of fresh air during such a depressing time.

Everything is executed beautifully. The costumes are neither old-fashioned or trashy, there is a sense of period with the scenery and handsomely done at that. It's beautifully shot too, it's expansive enough without being overblown and has intimacy without being claustrophobic. The direction by Nicholas Hytner is always tasteful, with no gratuitous touches or gimmicks, and traditional without being stuffy. There may not be an awful lot innovative here, but that doesn't matter with this amount of exuberance, keen eye for character interaction and respect for the text.

Shakespeare's text is typically wonderful and poetic. The comedy in the production is constantly very funny to hilarious, with nothing feeling forced or overdone. Yet the heart of the play is also far from lost or forgotten, there is actually a lot of it and it is handled very touchingly thanks to Olivia not being passive or underwritten and the beautiful chemistry between Helen Hunt and Paul Rudd.

All the performances are terrific with no exception, with Hunt a very committed and at her best enchanting Viola and Rudd a dashing and noble Orsino. Kyra Sedgwick's Olivia is very moving, while the Malvolio of Phillip Bosco is amusing yet also suitably pitiful, without being too much of an idiot. Brian Murray is riotously funny as Sir Toby and doesn't overplay or mug.

In conclusion, a joy of a 'Twelfth Night'. 10/10.

I was very excited to see that Twelfth Night was being broadcast on our local PBS station, especially since I had the pleasure of seeing it live in New York City over the summer. I was truly impressed by ALL the performances and was excited to see some "lost" actors from other favorites of mine (i.e. Warriors).

I am a true follower of Helen Hunt and was quite surprised to watch the Season Premiere of Mad About You and recognize some of the actors from the play.

Twelfth Night was a nice introduction of Shakespeare and has aroused my curiosity for other plays. Thanks for the space!