British Black and Asian Shakespeare Performance Database
Twelfth Night (2008): Donmar Warehouse, Wyndham's Theatre
CAST INCLUDED: Mark Bonnar (Orsino); Ron Cook (Sir Toby Belch); Victoria Hamilton (Viola); Guy Henry (Sir Andrew Aguecheek); Derek Jacobi (Malvolio); Samantha Spiro (Maria); Zubin Varla (Feste); Indira Varma (Olivia).
This production ran from 10 December 2008 - 7 March 2009, according to Theatre Record. It was part of the Donmar Warehouse's year-long residency at Wynham's Theatre under Michael Grandage. Included Jude Law's Hamlet and Kenneth Branagh in Ivanov.
"Where is Ilyria? Historically, on the eastern Adriatic coast. But in Michael Grandage's new production of Shakespeare's timeless comedy, it seems a strange mix of Spanish Morocco and Edwardian Midhurst. This geographical vagueness deprives the play's compex social relationships of clarity...although the stage looks beautiful, the production skates over the surface of many of the relationships. Indira Varma's Olivia may have the sinuous beauty of a Vogue model and Victoria Hamilton's Viola may look like a sexily androgynous matador, but the former's headlong passion for the latter never exceeds the bounds of propriety." ~ Michael Billington, The Guardian, 12 December 2008
"Designer Christopher Oram and his colleagues create a magical Illyria, an enchanted land of strong sunlight, dilapidated wooden shutters, chirping cicadas and a stage that resembles the wooden hull of an ancient ship....Indira Varma brings glamour to the role of Olivia, Zubin Varla sings beautifully and is far less tedious than most Festes" ~ Charles Spencer, "A Night close to perfection", Daily Telegraph, 12 December 2008
"The funniest moment comes when Malvolio, tricked by a fake letter into believing that his mistress Olivia (played with an elegant touch by Indira Varma) desires him, attempts a smile....Zubin Varla, as the clownish, greedy Feste, sings most agreeably and is a dab pair of hands on the bongos)." ~ Paul Callan, Daily Express, 12 December 2008, in Theatre Record 2008, Issue 25 - 26
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