★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Annie

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

If an evening in an open-air theatre or a glorious London park doesn’t already scream summer, then this heatwave we are currently experiencing certainly does! I was already excited about my visit to Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Twelfth Night, but I literally could not have asked for a more perfect evening with the weather, making the occasion even more magical.

Arriving at the stunning Ladbroke and Arundel Gardens just off the multicoloured house-lined streets of Notting Hill - guests are taken down an ethereal feeling garden path to find a simple staging area which entirely lets the surrounding nature do the talking. The gardens even when not open to the public are beautiful but they look even more magical in the midsummer golden sky, which the audience is lucky enough to sit under for the evening.

Although Twelfth Night does not have any mythical or magical characters like some other Shakespearean comedies; as soon as I arrived it automatically felt like the perfect setting for the play, celebrating one of Britain's most renowned playwrights.

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Director Sineod Jones’ adaptation of ‘Twelfth Night’ is a wonderfully genius take on the classic, having set the play in the 1920s prohibition era - with all the stereotypical characters you’d expect to find in a silent movie or play of that era, but with the complexity and character study you get from Shakesepare’s original work. I loved the choice to set the play in this era, as it heightened the theatrics of the comedy, as well as giving the actors, even more, skits and tropes to play off of. It was like watching Shakespeare for the first time again, feeling totally fresh and joyous to watch - which is no mean feat for any director or actor to undertake when it comes to Shakespearean acting.

Despite having been set in an era miles away from its original, and to some extent, a good stretch from modern day - the play still felt as relatable and hilarious as it always has. Once again proving that Shakespeare was truly ahead of his time, and his works are and will remain timeless.

Due to being set in such glorious surroundings, the staging was very minimal, which I think was the only move to have taken. It would have been a shame for the play to have distracted from the nature around it - and it instead enabled the actors to go even further with their comedic acting and as an audience revel in it even more.

Despite the humble staging, the use of the space, including audience interaction was wonderful. It made the play have an almost immersive quality, yet still felt incredibly intimate and simplistic at its core.

The cast are nothing but a joy to watch. They play off of one another with such harmony and understanding, it creates a unified front which as an audience member made the play have an excellent flow throughout.

Members of the cast provide not only exceptional Shakespearean acting but also display their triple-threat abilities with lovely choreography and glorious music which is interspersed throughout. Having taken the 1920s era as inspiration, the music comes from the era and provides a beautiful accompaniment to the storyline. A personal favourite was Lucy Ireland’s rendition of Gershwin’s “someone to watch over me” - which was so effortlessly angelic.

Richard Emerson’s portrayal of Malvolio was an utter masterclass of comedic acting - exceptionally witty, impressively precise and seamlessly delivered. I don’t think there was one audience member who didn’t laugh out loud at his big stocking reveal moment. Toby Gordon and Fred Thomas offer excellent sketch-like performances and play off of one another with such ease.

Huge applause to Marissa Landy whose portrayal of Feste was just so impeccable, providing a completely physical performance which never once fell short of total commitment to the role. What a pleasure it was to watch, even not in Landy’s own monologues, their performance was beautifully studied and portrayed, offering wonderful support to the frontal scenes.

It was such a pleasure to watch this performance on Twelfth Night and I strongly recommend a trip to this enchanted park for a night of true euphoria. Not just one for Shakespeare fans, as this adaptation has truly embodied all aspects of the arts to ensure anyone can attend and fall head over heels for the show.