Twelfth Night
Sichuan International Studies University
The piece starts with Olivia singing “the element itself”, this piece of dialogue
about Olivia being set to music and sung by her. It’s a little confusing but
inventive. Feste enters to observe her from behind a garden screen (the set,
consisting of white garden furniture is a little bland). Feste silently mocks what
he sees, thus upstaging the actors. If this sort of “commentary” thing is done,
then it should be done for a purpose. It is difficult to see what purpose is served
here. Olivia is nicely posed and well played, if a little stiff and monotonous.
Malvolio is well done. Good comic acting is keyed to the character rather than to
some vague expectation that one is a “clown” (genre actng). Feste tends to be
played in this generic fashion. There is no need for this because Feste is a very
interesting character and the performance should be based on his character (an
aging professional clown who is – as Malvolio cruelly realizes – way past his sellby date). The Malvolio actor conveys Malvolio’s malice nicely in his delivery of
the line “such a barren rascal” (a hurtful remark, as clowns – like Hamlet’s
“Yorick” – were valued for their wit, their “excellent fancy”). The Olivia actress
exits to re-enter as Maria, whom she acts with real verve. Again this is comic
acting with some basis in the character (an uppity serving woman who seizes her
chance to humiliate her boss). Malvolio is now faced with a long and difficult
monologue: his finding and reading of the dropped letter. This he manages with
panache. He captures the dawning of awareness in Malvolio (that the person
Olivia means is really him). He also “revolves” on the word “revolve”, a fairly
common way of doing this, but capturing Malvolio’s literalism. There is a really
nice bit of business when Olivia enters to speak her lines from the “letter”. Smoke
billows indicating a fantasy scene. Malvolio runs up to embrace her and
embraces Feste instead. This deserved a laugh, and got one. Malvolio acts his
lines with real intelligence, modulating his voice as he comes to grips with his
new fortune. The speech ends with him dancing with himself in happiness. He
exits to come on again with the cross-garters. It is standing temptation for
Malvolios to make too much of these. This Malvolio almost does so, but manages
to show off his garters while just maintaining his dignity. His love-making to
Olivia is nicely done (he gets a real laugh when rubbing his gartered legs on
hers). In the “Sir Topas” section, Feste overdoes his part: the role of “Sir Topas” is
funny of course, but it has a hint of malice originating in Feste’s character as the
fading clown. Malvolio’s desperation at this point is well done.
By Prof. John Gillies