Twelfth Night

Fry and Rylance light up the West End

National treasure Stephen Fry makes a triumphant return to the stage after a 17-year absence in Tim Carroll's revival of Twelfth Night. He stars alongside pre-eminent stage actor Mark Rylance, and an all-male supporting cast in an 'original practices' production of the Shakespeare comedy. After having enjoyed sell-out performances at Shakespeare's Globe, this production deservedly gets its West-End transfer to the Apollo Theatre.

Fry and Rylance both give career-defining performances: Fry is pompous and witty as Malvolio, while Rylance is consistently hysterical as Olivia in his white make- up and black dress. With the inclusion of original practices, the audience can enjoy authentic Elizabethan costumes, music and acting styles as they would have been in Shakespeare's day. One of the Bard's finest comedies, this production is raucously funny in places yet moving in others. A stellar revival, featuring the finest acting talent of the modern day.

What is Twelfth Night about?

Shakespeare's comedy of gender confusion is an uproarious, classic farce. Twins Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria, where they are separated. Presuming Sebastian dead, Viola disguises herself as a man named Cesario, and enters the service of Duke Orsnio. Orsnio is in love with the disinterested Olivia, and his plan for Cesario to deliver his message of love to her backfires when Olivia falls instead for the Cesario the messenger. Meanwhile, others seek to exact their revenge on the evil Malvolio, by convincing him that he in fact is the object of Olivia's desire.