Review

“A plastic chicken, bright (very) yellow tights for Malvolio, a fight with two umbrellas and a great deal of gender confusion. The Rooftop production of Twelfth Night had it all. Combine that with innovative direction, good acting and an unusual (and magnificent) setting and you have a delight.

Abridging the play so that the pretty ludicrous plot remained intelligible (with the production running under two hours) was a great start. Using the space unexpectedly (the 'stage' being the long side of the rectangle) was another smart move, especially as it minimized the impact of the difficult acoustics, and keeping the actors on stage most of the time, often visible at either end, gave the sense that life goes on behind and beyond the visible acting — why don't directors do this more often?

Never having seen a Rooftop production before, I didn't know what to expect — but on the evidence of the Thursday night performance, it means impressive acting all-round, perhaps unsurprising given that a number of the cast are professionals. Stand-outs included Maria (Sally Gilfillan) with an assured and convincing performance, a sparkly Viola/Cesario (Fiona Beichamber) and the hapless Malvolio (Simon Boughey); Bob Reitemeier's dimwitted but benign Andrew Aguecheek was also beguiling.

To have a production of this energy and quality in the Town Hall makes St Albans residents a lucky bunch. On the evidence of last night's performance my main regret was not taking the rest of the family to see it.”

Candy Whittome, St Albans Arts