Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

MEDIA RELEASE
16 June 2006

Twelfth Night
by William Shakespeare

“Michael Hurst. . . proved yet again that he is our finest interpreter of the Bard.”
- Gilbert Wong, Metro

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."
- Malvolio, Act II, Scene V, Twelfth Night.

Tandi Wright picks up where Gwyneth Paltrow left off in Shakespeare in Love as she brings to life Twelfth Night’s gender-bending heroine, Viola. George Henare stars as the aptly named Sir Toby Belch and Paolo Rotondo as Viola’s twin, Sebastian.

Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Oliver Driver, Paul Barrett, Andrew Laing, Charlie McDermott, Peter McCauley, Jason Smith and Jacque Drew complete the stellar line-up of first-class stage actors.

Lyrical, emotional, bitter-sweet and hugely funny, Twelfth Night is a spectacular concoction of cross-dressing and confusion where everyone is in love with the wrong person. Viola loves Orsino who loves Olivia who loves Sebastian and his twin brother Cesario who also happens to be Viola!

Michael Hurst and his superb cast unscramble the confusion, madness and mayhem all the while breathing new life into Shakespeare’s most poignant comedy.

“I’m astounded by how rich it is – a delicious jewel full of love and light, whilst still piercing with tears of exquisite agony. Shakespeare would have had to have experienced love in all its extremities before he could have written Twelfth Night”, says Michael Hurst.

Auckland Theatre Company Artistic Director, Colin McColl, is thrilled Michael Hurst is on board to direct for Auckland Theatre Company.

“Because he knows Shakespeare so well –Michael is able to take wonderful lateral leaps of interpretation – to bring us a Twelfth Night which is exotic and familiar, accessible and aching with desire”, says Colin.

With luscious costumes by Elizabeth Whiting, set design by John Verryt and an original musical score by Jason Smith, Twelfth Night offers the ultimate in romantic tropical island getaways this winter.

Twelfth Night - the heart of Auckland Theatre Company’s Things We Do For Love season – is a rare opportunity to see some of our finest theatre talent reinvent Shakespeare’s most perfectly constructed comedy.

Tickets to Auckland Theatre Company’s production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night are available through the Maidment Theatre Box Office 09 3082383 or online www.atc.co.nz

Twelfth Night

Starring:
Paul Barrett
Rachael Blampied
Jacquie Drew
Oliver Driver
George Henare
Ben Kissell
Andrew Laing
Peter McCauley
Charlie McDermott
Brian Rankin
Paolo Rotondo
Jason Smith
Esther Stephens
Jennifer Ward Lealand
Tandi Wright

Direction: Michael Hurst
Original Music Composer: Jason Smith
Set Design: John Verryt
Lighting Designer: David Eversfield
Costume Designer: Elizabeth Whiting

Maidment Theatre
13 July – 5 August
Tuesday 6.30pm
Wednesday – Saturday 8.00pm
Matinee Saturday 29 July at 2.00pm
Sundays 4.00pm

Tickets: $20 - $49 (booking fees apply)

ENDS