Shakespeare - Twelfth Night - Performance analysis

Part ofEnglishTwelfth Night

Performance analysis

There are many different ways to interpret and perform Shakespeare’s plays. Watch the videos and decide how you would perform the three scenes from Twelfth Night.

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Scenes to explore

As one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, there have been plenty of performances of Twelfth Night over the years. In Shakespeare’s day, the stage would have been bare, the props few, and the lighting would depend upon the weather. Theatres were open air and the plays were held in daylight.

Nowadays, Shakespeare’s plays are interpreted in many different ways on stage and screen. Directors and their production teams make choices on how they want to stage the play and how the characters will deliver their lines. The decisions they make can often change how the audience think and feel about the play and the characters in it.

Let’s look at three scenes and explore the possibilities for an exciting and unforgettable performance of Twelfth Night.

  • Act 1 Scene 5 – Rehearsing Cesario’s (Viola) visit to Olivia
  • Act 3 Scene 5 – Staging the ‘box-tree’ scene
  • Act 4 Scene 1 – Rehearsing the duel
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Act 1 Scene 5 – Rehearsing Cesario’s (Viola's) visit to Olivia

In Act 1 Scene 5, Olivia allows Cesario (Viola) to come into her room and speak with her. Olivia falls for Viola’s disguise and believes she is a boy. In Shakespeare’s day women weren’t allowed on stage so the part of Viola would have been played by a boy. This means he would have been a boy playing a girl playing a boy.

'Twelfth Night' - How would you rehearse Cesario’s (Viola) visit to Olivia?

This video shows a group of actors rehearsing the scene and the director is trying out different ways to perform it. As you watch, consider the following:

  • how in a modern day interpretation an actress could convincingly play a woman and a man in the same play
  • how the audience react to these different interpretations of Cesario (Viola)
  • how you’d ensure a theatre audience would understand what was going on
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Act 2 Scene 5 – Staging the 'box-tree' scene

In Act 2 Scene 5, Maria drops a forged letter for Malvolio to find. Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Fabian and Maria all hide in the bushes and watch his reaction. Does this scene need lots of props or is it up to the audience to use their imagination? There are many possibilities for a director to consider.

'Twelfth Night' - How would you stage the 'box-tree' scene?

This video shows a group of stage designers pitching ideas on how to stage the ‘box-tree’ hiding place. As you watch, consider the following:

  • how much the prop ideas would cost
  • how long it would take to set up during a live production
  • how the audience would react
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Act 4 Scene 1 – Rehearsing the duel

When Sir Andrew meets Sebastian, in Act 4 Scene 1, he thinks he is Cesario and hits him. Sebastian reacts and they begin to duel. It’s a clear case of mistaken identity.

'Twelfth Night' - How would you rehearse the duel between Sir Andrew and Sebastian?

This video shows a group of actors rehearsing the scene and the director is trying out different ways to perform it. As you watch, consider the following:

  • whether the fight should be played out in a serious or playful way
  • how the audience would react to these different interpretations
  • how props and sound effects could enhance the fight scene
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