Stafford Gatehouse Theatre has come home with something brilliant…
The theatre has been king – and queen - of the town’s historic castle for summer after summer.
But it was all becoming a bit of a washout, I suspect, as the British weather constantly chucked buckets of cold water over big productions.
So, metaphorically speaking, they had to either throw in the towel, or do something different.
And that’s what they did - something different, Twelfth Night: A Cornish Tale.
It’s an alfresco story of mystery, love, betrayal, false identity, unrequited lust. And gender confusion.
It’s set by the sea too, in the 1950-60s in a Milkwood-style Cornish fishing village with a vast expanse of sky, a big fat moon and a soundtrack of seagulls, storms and thundering waves.
And they did it all in-house as the rain came down.
Twelfth Night is the theatre’s 32nd Shakespeare production – the narrative now a slick mix of the Bard’s words, slapstick, mugging reactions, theatrical joy and original folk songs performed by The Evolution of Fishermen.
Yep, loved it – it showcased comic Sean Walsh as Malvolio, Emmerdale ex Natalie Anderson as Olivia, and Molly Windsor as Viola.
Good casting!
Director Sean Turner and his crew have created something eccentric, new, dramatic, funny and powerfully visual.
Cast
Natalie Anderson – Olivia
Molly Windsor – Viola
Seann Walsh – Malvolio
Andre Bullock – Antonio
Benedict Landsbert-Noon – Sebastian
Callum Sim – Andrew Aguecheek
Liz Jadav – Maria
Bob Golding – Sir Toby Belch
Peter Watts – Duke Orsino
Sha Dessi – Feste
Loris Scarpa – Valentine/Understudy
Band
Lucinda Freeburn – Band/Understudy
Sam Lightfoot-Loftus – Sea Captain/Band/Understudy
Loris Scarpa – Band
The Evolution of Fishermen
Creatives
Director Sean Turner
Producer Mike Groves
Sound Engineer Hattie North
Set and Costume Designer Alfie Heywood
Lighting Design Barry Smith
Musical Director Stephen Hyde
Movement Director Amy Lawrence
Tickets are priced from £24-£32.
CASTLE KEEP! You can keep your soggy monument, I'd see these 'insiders' anytime