Twelfth Night at The Cockpit

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2. Twelfth Night

After twins, Sebastian, and Viola, are shipwrecked at the start of the play, Viola must figure out a way to survive in the foreign land of Illyria. Since the Countess Olivia, the only potential female protector, is too distraught over her brother’s death to receive any visitors, Viola decides that her second-best course of action will be to enter the service of Duke Orsino. As part of her survival scheme, she discards her gown and masks her female gender with the disguise of a male page. Her masculine clothing proves to be such a convincing disguise that the Illyrians confuse her outright with her twin brother Sebastian, eliciting trickery and heartache in the courts of Olivia and Orsino.

In a great body of work spanning over 50 years, there are not many Shakespeare plays that Footsbarn have not put their legendary name to, but Twelfth Night is one, which is why artistic director Sadie Jemmett  felt that it was the right moment to tackle this most bold and bittersweet masterpiece. Now, perhaps more than any other time, this play comes into its own by exploring the themes of gender identity that our young generation are bringing to the world's attention. The Production focuses on the classic story line of Love and Loss while drawing attention to the darker subplots of pride, hatred and revenge, which Shakespeare masterfully wove into the tale.  Swept along, in true Footsbarn style, in a frolic of rich costumes, live music and classic comedy clowning. This is a dark Shakespeare comedy by a heritage company, delivering a solid good night out.

Authors

• Anthony Cochrane
• David Amram
• David Erlanger
• Duncan Sheik
• Ellen Bower
• Galt MacDermot
• Peter Golub
• Robert Richmond
• Rupert Holmes
• Thomas Campion
• William Shakespeare

Tony Awards and Nominations for Twelfth Night