Twelfth Night
NYT Workshop Theatre, London
 

 
THERE won’t be much better in terms of Christmas-time fare in the capital this season than this Meghan Doyle-directed take on Shakespeare’s yuletide comedy.
 
Doyle, in combination with adaptor Ellen McDougall, has done a fine job of enhancing the play in various almost undiscernible ways, including by inserting occasional bits of modern day phraseology that add to the comic effect.
 
Extra laughs are also achieved with some inventive elements of physical theatre, and the director has got the best out of an energetic and multi-talented cast.
 
In fact the production features four outstanding performances that are worth the watch alone: from Emily Casey as a gloriously uptight Malvolio, Laura Masters as a splendidly hot-blooded Olivia (looking quite a lot like Helena Bonham Carter in Trevor Nunn’s film version of the play), Alfie Wickham as the ridiculously asinine Andrew Aguecheek and, above all, Cathy Sale as Viola, anchoring the story with great surety.
 
Nothing is overdone, nor does anyone overplay their hand, despite the temptations to do so in such a raucous tale. Doyle has made sure that much of the heavy lifting is done with facial expressions and body language, and there’s a degree of subtlety in the acting that enhances rather than diminishes the rollicking humour.
 
Designer Ethan Cheek frames it all in a set of upside-down Christmas trees suspended from various points in the ceiling, and the costumes give an English medieval feel to the pagan revelry.
 
Once or twice the music drowns out the voices, and there’s an unnecessary new opening scene in which the players joke about what’s to come. But with some evocative music, well-choreographed dancing and a couple of enjoyable slapstick fight scenes, the show is very good on all fronts.
 
Runs until December 18. Tickets: nyt.org.uk