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

★★★★

“revitalises the classic tragedy, landing with surprising warmth and clarity”

“The play’s the thing” and National Theatre Live remains one of the finest ways to share theatre widely. Kicking off the 2026 programme is ‘Hamlet’, captured from the Lyttelton Theatre run in 2025. Robert Hastie’s refreshingly modern production thrills, chills and fizzes with life, offering theatre devotees and casual viewers alike a compellingly atmospheric start to the new year.

The King is dead and Prince Hamlet suspects foul play. But in a world thick with treachery and madness, will the players hold their course or be pulled under?

Shakespeare’s haunting poetry is re energised as a vivid study of grief and emotional unravelling, balanced by surprising warmth and humour. Robert Hastie’s direction is assured and electrifying. The genuinely unsettling opening scene sets the tone, with ominous lighting, sound and even poltergeist jolts continuing to disturb the peace. Almost all the major characters receive a pleasingly layered interpretation. We lean into Hamlet’s ‘madness’, soliloquising beyond Elsinore’s physical bounds, firing real shots from an imagined gun, and communing with a sometimes-absent ghost, all the while disguising his deterioration with levity and biting quips. Claudius is unexpectedly sympathetic, displaying calm resolve and even genuine concern. His confession feels searching and his death becomes a defiant surrender rather than a forced poisoning. Ophelia’s arc shifts from romantic heartbreak to the crushing weight of her father’s murder, helped by a warmly awkward, devoted Polonius. Gertrude is the only major role that feels comparatively under developed. Overall, the production excels in emotional clarity, landing every line with purpose.

Ira Mandela Siobhan’s movement direction and Kate Waters’ fight choreography drive the energy, delivering slick, realistic sequences that culminate in a final duel brimming with passion.

Richard Taylor’s superb score moves from eerie, unsettling textures to frantic orchestrations, using silence as deftly as sound. The offstage Carducci quartet (Matthew Denton, Michelle Fleming, Eoin Schmidt-Martin, Emma Denton) deserve praise for their masterful execution.

Ben Stones’ set and costume design has a ‘Saltburn’ esque blend of grandeur and bleakness, balancing imposing scale with striking simplicity. When the set unexpectedly deconstructs for Ophelia’s funeral, it exposes the superficiality of Elsinore’s stateliness – simple yet richly layered.

Jessica Hung Han Yun’s lighting is superb, shifting effortlessly between psychological states. Opening in darkness with sparse torchlight infuses powerlessness and mistrust. Pulses of light sync perfectly with eerie glissandos, deepening the haunted atmosphere.

Alexandra Faye Braithwaite’s sound design captures the sense of isolation beautifully, though a little background noise from over sensitive mics creeps into the final mix.

Hiran Abeysekera delivers a remarkable Hamlet, embodying the Prince with clarity, precision and surprising sparkle, and holds focus throughout – no mean feat on a stage let alone a screen! Alistair Petrie’s Claudius is equally compelling, a masterclass in understatement. For once, I find myself sympathising. Francesca Mills’ Ophelia is funny, grounded and utterly real in a role that’s too often flattened. Tom Glenister’s Laertes is the perfect match, showing us true grief. Geoffrey Streatfeild’s Polonius is unexpectedly endearing, making his death quietly devastating. Aside from Ayesha Dharker’s slightly enigmatic Gertrude and a few stylised turns here and there, the ensemble is outstanding, breathing life into the oppressive Elsinore.

Not forgetting the production teams for this recording, the filming and editing do real justice to the performance.

National Theatre Live’s ‘Hamlet’ revitalises the classic tragedy, landing with surprising warmth and clarity. You’ll see the play in a new light, so catch it in cinemas while you can.

Tag Archives: William Shakespeare

TWELFTH NIGHT

★★★½

Cambridge Arts Theatre

TWELFTH NIGHT

Cambridge Arts Theatre

★★★½

“beautifully staged and sharply directed”