Stratford's artistic director Des McAnuff has fashioned a first-rate, lively and beautiful-looking Twelfth Night that should be one of the season's great successes. I find it impossible to explain why one shift in style or inserted anachronism seems true to an author's intent and another, no-more daring one, seems stupid and disrespectful; but though McAnuff's production ranges through music and props and clothing styles of several places and eras, it seems to me to be attuned to this play's irresistible spirit.
Of course, Twelfth Night is full of its own contradictions -- a comedy of constant jibes, jests and clowning, and many inserted song lyrics, every one of them sad and melancholy. And it is set in an imaginary place, Illyria, in an imaginary time.
The comedy's central commentator, Feste the clown, talks about playing with words and beliefs; and role-playing seems to be most of the characters' basic pastime. I prefer the music of Stratford's earlier production commissioned from the wildly popular Canadian group, Bare Naked Ladies, to the wider-ranging music provided here by Michael Roth and Des McAnuff; but no choices here seem to me to diminish the pleasure.
Shakespeare's sure, witty creation makes this a comedy so musical that it has become at least three successful musical shows and had countless famous productions. Of course, we all remember great performances in classic, enduring works; but I cannot watch Twelfth Night without thinking how one line or scene or song delighted me in earlier inspired versions. Still, those recollections cannot spoil my appreciating new work as fine as this. Andrea Runge is scheduled to resume the lead role of Viola but because of an injury couldn't open the production; so Suzy Jane Hunt was cast as a "Standby" and managed splendidly on opening night. Tall and lithe, her "Cesario" looks like Viola's twin brother, Sebastian, and has some endearing moments, especially in her panic when taunted into a duel. Trent Pardy isn't a very memorable Sebastian, but his delight when the beautiful Olivia throws herself at him is fun. I guess that Sara Topham's Olivia does look older than Viola, as she should, but she makes Olivia so adorably enlivened by her dropping her mourning for her brother to pursue her lust for what she thinks is an innocent young man, Cesario, that she impishly steals the comic female star role.
Cara Ricketts makes an attractive scheming Maria, Olivia's maidservant without really putting her own stamp on the role. But the old-pro comic male stars, as usual, dominate this comedy. Handsome Mike Shara gets what comic character he can into the lovesick Duke Orsino, justifying Viola/Cesario's love for him. With unusual assurance, Juan Chioran makes the strongest impression I've seen anyone achieve playing Fabian, the amused conspirator against Malvolio. Fabian is an underwritten add-on because Shakespeare clearly intended Feste to be the third schemer with Toby and Andrew.
Depending on casting and direction, the chief comic star-role of Twelfth Night can be Malvolio, Sir Toby Belch, or, less often, Sir Andrew Aguecheek. In this rollicking version, I'd say it's a toss-up, though I lean toward Sir Andrew. Despite his long career worldwide, Brian Dennehy has been knocking out Stratford audiences for only one previous season in a virtuosic repertory of Shakespeare, Arthur Miller and Samuel Beckett. He has the girth and broad comic background to play Sir Toby, and his opening night performance was funny and commanding but surprisingly more sly and playful than the blustering clown one might expect. This is a Sir Toby that the pretty, young Maria might really fall for, not just marry for convenience. He brings dignity, not just anger, to his confrontation with Malvolio: "Art any more than a steward?". Tom Rooney's Malvolio is a quirkier, goofier creature than the Puritan sourpuss who blossoms into silliness at the thought of marrying Olivia. (His name could be translated as "ill will.") He is so brilliantly self-revealing and funny in subtle ways that Rooney won applause for virtually every scene. His big scene discovering the letter he is led to believe sent to him by Olivia is expectedly a tour de force, but more character-driven than funny line-deliveries and prancing about; ditto the scene with Olivia when he seems mad. Interestingly, he does not play for pity or laughs when "imprisoned"; his Malvolio becomes hopelessly confused but angry only in his final famous vow for revenge. It's a stunning performance. Stephen Ouimette is an actor who can not only wordlessly but unmistakably convey to an audience exactly what his character is thinking, and he can choose how comically or touchingly he can do so. Playing Sir Toby's stupid but sweet-natured foil, Sir Andrew, he is funny even when sadly musing, "I was once adored too." But in his action scenes sneaking around so that Malvolio won't see him, or trying not to really use his weapon in a duel he is obviously a master comic at work. Stratford often makes commercial videotapes of some of its productions. I hope they will preserve this Twelfth Night.
