Twelfth Night - Belvoir

Overview

Promising a whimsical new take on Shakespeare's love triangle-fuelled, shipwrecked comedy, Belvoir's production of Twelfth Night or What You Will marks the return of Keith Robinson to the stage after nearly ten years, alongside the Belvoir debut of Neighbours star Nikki Shiels.

They join a large cast of veteran Belvoir performers including Peter Carroll (The Great Fire, Seventeen), Amber McMahon (Angels in America) and John Howard (Ivanov).

Director (and Belvoir's current artistic director) Eamon Flack's gender-blind casting sees an even split between female and male actors, with McMahon and Emele Ugavule portraying Sebastian and Antonio respectively. This plays on the themes of gender and mistaken identity already in the play, as Shiels' character Viola disguises herself as a man called Cesario throughout.

This is the first Shakespearean production by the theatre since the introduction of Flack as new artistic director. He's previously directed the Shakespearean comedy As You Like It for Belvoir in 2011, as well as Helpmann Award-winning productions of The Glass Menagerie and Angels in America.

Image: Brett Boardman.