TWELFTH NIGHT

Cambridge Arts Theatre

★★★½

“beautifully staged and sharply directed”

Cambridge University’s historic Marlowe Society presents Shakespeare’s tangled comedy, ‘Twelfth Night, or What You Will’. The student cast and professional creative team offer a vibrant, fresh take though the line between seasoned craft and eager amateurism is sometimes evident.

Shipwrecked in the strange land of Illyria, Viola believes her twin Sebastian is drowned. To survive, she assumes a male identity and slips into Duke Orsino’s household as a page. ‘Cesario’, swiftly winning Orsino’s favour, is sent to court the mourning Olivia in Orsino’s stead. No-one foresees how fast the flames of love will fan in all directions. In this tangle of longing and mistaken identity, can love truly conquer all?

Michael Oakley’s layered direction, with student assistant Sophia Orr, gleefully taps into mischief and duality. Queer coded subtexts are brought to the surface with a tender, modern touch. Comedy abounds: Malvolio’s transformation is delightfully deranged, troublemakers burst out of bushes before diving back in for the postscript, and balloon hearts materialise unexpectedly, all buoyed by jaunty folk music. Crucially, it’s tempered with just enough sobriety to give weightier moments punch. It’s visually beautiful, with “What You Will” shapeshifting in line with the plot’s knots and unravellings. Though the quintessentially British setting softens Illyria’s sense of strangeness. Some sections feel a touch static, though Malvolio’s yellow stockinged showcase is spot on. Alison de Burgh’s fight direction injects real flair into the confrontations, from jokey flailing to bare knuckle blows.

‘Twelfth Night’ is among Shakespeare’s most musical plays, and the score provides an understated yet essential heartbeat. The folk style feels timeless, with a soothing, lilting breeziness that heightens the poignancy of Shakespeare’s lyrics. Musical Director Gabriel Owens and onstage band (Eva Cotton, Sophie Wallis, Nat Riches, Reuben Karas, Charlie Harrison) interpret the score with sensitivity and precision, though there are a couple of early entries and Feste tries to sing every line in the final song’s overlapping structure.

Ingrid Hu’s scenography is stunning. The morphing “What You Will” doubles as furniture and incisive commentary. I unironically love the balloon hearts, instantly giving each character’s romantic arc a unique flavour. Minimalism blends with realism through simple blocks and detailed props. The band’s unobtrusive onstage presence adds physical and metaphorical texture.

Christopher Nairne’s lighting design is beautiful, creating subtle shifts in tone and emphasis that quietly amplify the poetry and energy of each scene.

Anna Wood’s sound design expertly blends ambient sounds, effects, band and vocals into a cohesive soundscape. The thunderclaps bookending the production underscore how closely things skirt tragedy, though there is noticeable feedback in Malvolio’s prison scene.
Hu’s costumes are impeccable. The clear concepts and clean tonal palette keep each role sharply defined, with Malvolio’s gloriously incongruous garb an undeniable highlight.

The student cast delivers assured work overall, even if some casting choices feel a little back to front. Eddie Adams’ Malvolio steals the show, transforming from pompous to love struck to vengeful with skill. Stella Williamson’s Feste is delightfully free spirited, with gorgeous vocals making for a perfect jester. Theo Francis’ Sir Toby possesses instinctive comedic flair and raucousness that contrasts perfectly with Malvolio’s stuffiness. Max Parkhouse gives Antonio a deeply human edge, making Sebastian’s whirlwind marriage quietly heartbreaking. Elizabeth Peni Brooks’ Maria is wonderfully layered, blending quiet authority, simmering resentment and irresistible charm. Jacob Mellor’s Orsino balances toughness with tenderness and Toby Trusted captures Sir Andrew’s foppishness with ease. However, some principal roles feel a little stiff, with weak projection and occasional gabbling blunting the emotional weight of their scenes. The chemistry between the central couples is also underpowered, making their sudden unions harder to invest in.

Though imperfect, Marlowe Society’s ‘Twelfth Night’ is beautifully staged and sharply directed. Offering some strong student performances, it’s a great tonic for the January blues.

TWELFTH NIGHT

Cambridge Arts Theatre

Reviewed on 21st January 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

TWELFTH NIGHT

★★½

“There are commendable performances across the cast”

They say those who ignore the past are condemned to repeat it; fortunately ‘Safe Haven’ revisits a recent chapter of history that still resonates today. Though the script doesn’t quite unlock the full force of the material, it’s an undeniably bold playwriting debut.

It’s the early 1990s and Saddam Hussein’s forces threaten the genocide of millions of Kurds. In London, two diplomats and a Kurdish refugee try desperately to convince the British government to intervene. Based on true events, it’s a stark reminder that extraordinary times demand extraordinary courage.

‘Safe Haven’ marks former British diplomat Chris Bowers’ playwriting debut, drawing on deep ties to Kurdistan and a sharp grasp of politics. He shows great wit and insight, using wry, throwaway lines to expose the uncanny irony of certain situations. Yet the script needs significant refinement to reach its full potential. Despite the huge built in stakes, the plot feels underdeveloped and oddly structured, dissipating tension rather than building it. For example, Act 1 wraps before introducing the crucial ‘safe haven’; the Act 1 climax lacks suspense; the will they survive cliffhanger is resolved rather unceremoniously. The characters, too, need fuller development. Though Bowers wisely distils the action into a few key lives – a tried and tested dramatic device – the central figures lack sufficient depth to carry the narrative. Catherine’s struggles – including her experiences of sexism – feel under explored, and the Kurdish siblings simply fade out. This is compounded by rather dense, technical language featuring long stretches of exposition and little ‘showing’ of the story. There are some strong ideas here but they need clearer articulation.

Mark Giesser’s direction offers some striking ideas. Catherine’s opening monologue, delivered straight to the audience, provides an immediate point of connection – though curiously this device isn’t revisited. The sharply divided set – half regimented office, half soil covered outdoors – is an intelligent visual metaphor for the play’s internal divisions. However, the use of space sometimes muddies rather than clarifies. During Najat and Zeyra’s perilous mountain ascent, for example, the actors move into the office area, desk and all, undercutting the scene’s realism. Entries and exits feature rather circuitous routes, when slipping behind the curtains could be a cleaner solution. The blocking, too, could use a little refinement; a few key beats are lost when actors turn their backs to the audience, obscuring crucial reactions.

Jida Akil’s design is one of the production’s real strengths. The split set – half office, half earth – is cleverly conceived, with soil evoking homeland and identity. The layered white curtains, suggesting snow capped mountains and doubling as an elegant projection surface, create striking visuals.

Libby Ward’s video design carries the production fluidly through time and place with cinematic flair. The interplay of images and text smartly echoes the relentless churn of news and bureaucracy, while the sparing use of colour gives some scenes a purposeful lift.
Ali Taie’s sound design is a real asset, its blend of music, ambient detail and sharp effects placing us right at the centre of the action.

Katherine Watt’s costume supervision draws sharp contrasts, setting vibrant Kurdish dress against the starch of Whitehall suits. Though a red scarf for Najat would better align with the text.

There are commendable performances across the cast, though the depth of characterisation varies somewhat, likely in part due to the script. Lisa Zahra offers the most fully realised performances, giving Zeyra a quiet resilience and Anne a warm forthrightness. Beth Burrows brings both determination and vulnerability to Catherine, navigating an impossible situation with clarity. Mazlum Gül makes Al Tikriti suitably sinister while Dlawer is impassioned if less subtly shaded. Stephen Cavanagh adds well judged comic relief as a prickly US General.

Bowers’ bold debut play ‘Safe Haven’ shines a light on a strikingly relevant chapter of history. Though beautifully designed, the script and delivery currently fall shy of fully revealing the human dimension.

Tag Archives: Hannah Bothelton

TWELFTH NIGHT

★★★½

Cambridge Arts Theatre

TWELFTH NIGHT

Cambridge Arts Theatre

★★★½

“beautifully staged and sharply directed”