Twelfth Night cast takes the Bard to new heights

Gray clouds cover the sky as a softly glowing sun gently sets behind the trees at Hawrelak Park.

On the outdoor set of Twelfth Night, a magpie flies to the topmost parapet and stares down at Feste as the fool whispers, “Nothing that is so is so.”

Those are cautionary words in this delightful romantic comedy now playing alongside Othello as part of the Freewill Shakespeare Festival at the Heritage Amphitheatre until June 24.

Twelfth Night is after all a frothy mix of mistaken identity, cross-dressing, unrequited love and stumbling duels where good old-fashioned revelry abounds. But etched in this world of human frailty, William Shakespeare reminds us that even as love and lust see the world through a rose-coloured prism, actions of calculated human cruelty inevitably have consequences.

Directed under the deft hand of Theatre Network's artistic director Bradley Moss, the shipwrecked Viola (Julia Guy) believes her twin brother Sebastian has been swallowed by the sea. Without protection on the foreign coast of Illyria, she disguises herself as a beardless “boy” named Cesario and enters the Duke of Orsino's service (Nathan Cuckow).

Orsino, mooning over the Countess Olivia (Annette Loiselle) dispatches Cesario to woo her. To complicate things Viola is smitten with Orsino while Olivia, mourning the deaths of her father and brother, feels attracted to Cesario.

Sebastian (Perry Gratton), who has not died, arrives in Illyria in the company of Antonio (Mark Meer), an enemy of the Duke. Not wanting to attract attention, the twin keeps a low profile.

While the trio — Cesario/Viola, Orsino and Olivia — adroitly flirt through a dance of seduction, the play's secondary characters deliver unbridled comic relief. There's John Wright's roistering, drunken Sir Toby Belch, a trickster who delights in making mischief.

And Troy O'Donnell's gloomy Malvolio is pure delight as his egoism runs rampant after reading a forged letter from Olivia that encourages a romantic encounter. A gifted actor, O'Donnell is a pleasure to watch as he tries to stretch Malvolio's overcast face into a happy, stilted smile.

But the ultimate scene-stealer is John Kirkpatrick's Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a foolish friend of Sir Toby's who vies for Olivia's attentions. Using over-the-top body language and facial expressions similar to Jim Carrey's Grinch, Aguecheek is clearly the play's most exaggerated comic character, mesmerizing the audience with his ridiculous, foppish antics.

Yet Kirkpatrick once again shows his brilliance as a Shakespearean interpreter by infusing this utter fool with a gentle humanity. When Augecheek realizes his romantic suit is unwanted, a simple slump of his shoulders reveals his pain and a collective ‘aww' from the audience was distinctly heard.

Moss revitalizes the Bard's comedy with a few rounds of contemporary music. When Feste (Chris Bullough) performs a beat box routine, there's an added 21st century vibrancy to the play.

A special nod goes to costume designer Narda McCarroll for creating a stylish steampunk theme that invokes the Victorian era images of Jules Verne's imaginary flying machines.

Twelfth Night performs in tandem with Othello on odd nights and Saturday-Sunday matinees. For a complete calendar of events visit www.rivercityshakespeare.com.