Following its recent hit production of Othello, Toronto’s Ale House Theatre Co. resurrects a 90 minute cut of its crowd-pleasing Twelfe Night, Or what you will. In the land of Illyria, wild abandon rules and everything that is, isn’t. Separated at sea from her twin brother, Viola dresses as a man to serve Orsino, with whom she falls in love. Orsino wishes to have the lady Olivia who falls for Viola when she is tasked with wooing her on his behalf. All the while misrule triumphs as Sir Toby Belch and company torment the house steward, Malvolio, in the name of revenge and excellent sport.

 

“Twelfe Night is the sort of play that shatters ridiculous but endured assumptions of Shakespeare and his characters,” says director Joshua Stodart. Over the course of four Shakespeare productions, Ale House has used Original Practices as a launch pad for some of the most surprisingly fresh productions in Toronto Theatre. “Behind 400 years of plaque we find a world where people were as vibrant, complex, and familiar as people today and where ale was safer to drink than water.” AleHouse believes Original Practices to be one of many invigorating ways to bring life back to Shakespeare’s characters.

“It turns out that, despite what recent Stratford seasons have taught us, original practices actually can showcase Shakespeare at its best… [OP productions] often shy away from word pairings like “interesting interpretation” but insightful director Joshua Stodart places no such restrictions on his production, regardless of its traditional aesthetic. Each character here feels newly considered and thoughtfully developed…”

Kelly Bedard, Othello, My Entertainment World, 2015 Twelfe Night, Or what you will. was first performed in 2013. This 90 minute cut aims to defy expectations and renew excitement for Shakespeare in Toronto. Don’t miss it!