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Twelfth
Night
Creation Theatre Company
June 06 - July 28
Headington Hill Park
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By
Tim Bearder
The
Creation Theatre Company is the jewel in the crown of the Oxford
arts. How could Liverpool claim to be more cultured! Every year
I wait in great anticipation of their latest summer run.
The
company is dedicated to staging performances in unusual locations
and in the past has staged many shows at Magdalen School on the
banks of the Isis. It has even done a production of Macbeth in the
BMW Mini factory!
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| Viola,
the main love interest played by Lydia Fox |
This
production of Twelfth Night is the first in a new location on Headington
Hill Park. Despite living in Oxford all my life, I'd never ventured
into this leafy area of the city.
This
sense of discovery added to the suspense and excitement that can
only be conjured up in this kind of unique location.
Twelfth
Night is an interesting choice of Shakespeare's plays to choose.
The ambiguous title gives scant clues to the play's story, which
is a farcical comedy.
The
implausible story is one of the Bard's more contrived attempts at
leading the audience on a merry dance. For example, one young girl
puts on a hat, calls herself a man and men and women alike are left
swooning at her feet. All this without the aid of the magic of A
Midsummer Nights Dream.
Though
the clumsy story might grate, the buffoonery of Sir Andrew Aquecheek
and Sir Toby Belch is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face.
Entire
songs are used in the play. At times they are as enthralling and
poignant as those used to similar effect in Moulin Rouge. On a few
occasions they stand out like poor concert hall flights of fancy
where the modern lyrics jar with the Shakespearean script.
Despite
its minor flaws this play is a fantastic treat and a unique experience
that shouldn't just be enjoyed by American's visiting on a day trip
from London. The people of Oxfordshire should make every effort
to enjoy this enticing treat.
And
if you're walking up Headington Hill late one evening, don't be
too hasty to call the police if you hear someone shouting bizarre
Shakespearean prose.
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