Steampunk Shakespeare wows the crowd

MISTAKEN identities, cross-dressing and a love triangle made for an interesting evening of entertainment as The Castle Players took to the stage for the opening night of their summer production Twelfth Night.

Set beneath the beech tree in the grounds of The Bowes Museum, the storyline was given a Castle Players twist.

This year, director Jill Cole chose to go a little bit eccentric and venture into the realms of Victorian steampunk with a couple of surprises to keep those watching enthralled.

The romantic comedy incorporated moving cogs and timepieces which formed part of the minimal set, transforming the mythical land of Illyria into something rather quirky.

The award-winning actors were in fine form with an impeccable performance of the story of identical twins, Viola, who was played by Libby Harding, and Sebastian, who was played by Jevany Thompson.

After being separated in a shipwreck, Viola was rescued by sea captain Martin Foran. Deciding to dress as a boy and become known as Cesario, Viola found herself falling for Cal Baker, as the reigning duke Orsino, who was in turn in love with Countess Olivia, played well by Ella Blackburn.

However, the love triangle emerged and things began to get a bit messy when Olivia began to fall for Viola who she thought was a man.

The love theme may have caused some confusion, but hats off to the wit of the cast who made the show entertaining with the assistance of steampunk-inspired clowns and musicians. The drunken demeanour and toilet humour of Olivia’s uncle, Sir Toby Belch played by Ian Kirkbride, made the audience chuckle.

His drinking companion, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, played by Ben Pearson, was also well received by the packed grandstands, as were the appearances of Laura Shaw as Malvolia, Bunny Forsyth as Maria, Peter Cockerill as Antonio, Harry French as Fabian and Ethan Rawlins as Valentine.

The show wouldn’t have been the same without the rest of the ensemble including the citizens of Illyria and the puppeteers. An excellent job was done with the lighting and sound, controlled by Vaughan Freeman and the work done by the technical team ensured the show ran without a single hiccup.

The storyline may have caused a little confusion for those unfamiliar with the plot but there was no mistaking that the team’s hard work and faultless performance made for a great outdoor theatre experience.

Lindsay Oxley