Twelfth Night delights

A ‘spectacular achievement’ is how Rector, Mark Wilson, described the Senior Production of Twelfth Night, which delighted audiences during its run in May.

“The cast and musicians demonstrated passion and talent as they lit up the stage to bring Shakespeare’s timeless tale to life with music, laughter, and heart,” he enthuses. “They were ably supported by a fantastic backstage student and parent crew. This production was a great example of creativity and collaboration at St Andrew’s.”

Shakespeare's greatest comedy reimagined

With toe-tapping tunes, vibrant performances, and a fresh, contemporary take on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, Twelfth Night was a great success.

Director, Ginnie Thorner, who guided the student performers, says the joyful retelling of Shakespeare’s tale of mistaken identities and romance was a delight to bring to the stage.

“I first came across this version of Twelfth Night a couple of years ago and was immediately drawn to the music, energy, and delightful storytelling which makes this classic play accessible to another generation. I am so proud of our incredible community of cast, musicians, crew, and creative team who poured their energy into this production.”

This modern musical adaptation, which condenses the original three-hour play into a dynamic 90-minute production, features music and lyrics by Shaina Taub, blending pop, funk, and soul into an unforgettable soundtrack.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this adaptation is the exploration of how music plays an integral role in lifting both character and story,” says Ginnie. “Unlike classical Shakespearean productions where songs are secondary, here they are woven into the fabric of the play, preserving the integrity of Shakespeare’s text while rendering the lyrics contemporary and relevant.”

Musical Director, Duncan Ferguson, led "The Illyrian Band", a talented group of young musicians featuring several current and former St Andrew’s students, who played the show’s 23 vibrant songs with precision and flair.

The choreography of Hana Pearce (OC 2019) also brought the show to life, blending dynamic musical theatre style numbers with expressive contemporary dances, and high-energy, often hilarious ensemble routines.

The set and costumes were spectacular as ever, perfectly encapsulating the fictional land of Illyria and its inhabitants.

Ginnie believes the universal themes explored by Shakespeare is the reason his work continues to resonate with audiences today.

“At its core, Twelfth Night, both Shakespeare’s original and Taub’s brilliant adaptation, celebrates love, identity, and the beautiful chaos of human connection. It reminds us of the power of seeing the world through someone else’s eyes and of opening our hearts to one another’s stories."

Heart, hijinks and hidden identities

The modern version of Twelfth Night is a spirited reimagining of Shakespeare’s greatest romantic comedy, featuring some of the Bard’s classic tropes of mistaken identity, unrequited love, a complicated love triangle, and self-discovery.

After a shipwreck separates young heroine, Viola, from her twin brother, Sebastian, she lands in the mysterious land of Illyria, and disguises herself as the page, Cesario, to serve Duke Orsino. Chaos quickly ensues when Viola falls for Orsino, who in turn, pines for Countess Olivia, who then falls for Cesario, the disguised Viola.

Meanwhile, Olivia’s household have other marriage plans for her, so cue a dark comic sub-plot and lots of pranks, which includes the pompous Malvolio being hilariously duped by his fellow servants, who give him a fake letter which leads him to believe he has a chance with Olivia.

As confusion peaks, Viola’s brother, Sebastian, who is thought to be lost at sea returns, identities unravel, joyful reunions take centre stage, and as Shakespeare so famously said in another of his plays, "all’s well that ends well".

The show kicked off with a rollicking ensemble opening number, Play On, when we were introduced to the stunning voice of Emily Edwards (Year 13), who was excellent throughout the show as the heroine, Viola, effortlessly performing her character’s emotionally rich songs. One highlight was the new swagger and deep manly voice Emily adopted when her character transformed into Cesario.

We also met Sean Liddiard (Year 13) who delivered yet another strong performance as the lovesick Duke Orsino, a nobleman obsessed with the idea of love, who is in love with Countess Olivia. Sean did a great job of portraying the dramatic, charming, and slightly over-the-top character, who delivers the famous line, "If music be the food of love, play on".

Chloe McFedries (Year 11) was another impressive performer, and one to watch in the future, with her character, the forthright and glamorous Countess Olivia, being the third person in the love triangle. She had a beautiful singing voice, and her duet, I Am She, with Emily Edwards was particularly memorable. Chloe also had great comic timing, revealing her character’s journey from grief-stricken sister to her sudden passion for Cesario.

Love saves the day

The rest of the main cast also had lots of fun in their roles.

A standout was Noah Fanene (Year 13) as Malvolio, Countess Olivia’s uptight, self-important steward, who falls from grace thanks to the scheming of his fellow servants. Noah was a scene stealer, with a commanding stage presence, who totally nailed his character’s traits and physical comedy. An accomplished singer, Noah’s numbers, especially Count Malvolio, ended with enthusiastic applause.

As Feste, Olivia’s quick-witted "fool", Cultural Captain, Mookmanee (Mookee) Lee (Year 13), also shone. Her character was the glue of the show, observing and commenting on the action, while also singing and joking. She did a wonderful job singing some of the show’s most poignant and playful songs, including Is This Not Love, which also featured a stunning contemporary dance performance. Her musical prowess was also on display, playing her accordion during several of the show’s numbers.

Providing hilarious comic relief were Nicholas Wylie (Year 13) as Olivia’s hard-partying uncle, Sir Toby Belch, and Rory Forsythe (Year 13) as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a foolish nobleman, also trying to woo Olivia. Both characters were lovable and full of mischief, with Nicholas and Rory mastering their slapstick comedy. Rory’s awkward dance moves as Sir Andrew brought the house down.

Sarah Heffernan (Year 13) was also impressive as Olivia’s clever and mischievous lady-in-waiting, Maria, who brought sass and wit to her performance, singing and harmonising well during her songs. Scarlett Ryan also had a lot of fun, performing well as Fabian, a friend of Maria, who helps to set up the prank on Malvolio.

Late in the show, Viola’s brother, Sebastian, played enthusiastically by Edward Keenan (Year 11) arrivesin Illyria, followed by Antonio, the ship captain who rescued him, played well by Jingyang (Yang) Zhang (Year 12), another lovelorn character, who has fallen in love with Sebastian.

Finally, the character’s true identities are revealed. Viola and Orsino declare their love for each other and sing a beautiful duet, Tell Her. Olivia finds love with Sebastian.

As the officiant, Ruolin (Lauren) Li (Year 11) enjoyed her important task of making the unions official.

The students playing the people of Illyria performed with zest, energy, and enthusiasm throughout the show, which ended with another raucous final number, Eyes of Another, featuring the whole cast.

With passionate performances from talented cast and musicians, supported by seamless work by the dedicated creative team, backstage ākonga, and whānau crew, Twelfth Night was another infectious Senior Production at St Andrew’s College.