Let's get the good things out of the way first. I loved the performances of Parminder Nagra as Viola and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Orsino; I quite liked the idea of using the back story that of asylum seekers (and the ambiguous ending where maybe it wasn't Viola's ideal happy ending); I thought using CCTV to watch Malvolio (a decent performance from Michael Maloney) in the garden was a great touch; and I liked the drum n bass feel to the songs.
But - overall I felt the poetry of the play to be stifled in its new home, and some characters to either be too cardboard (Richard Bremner's Andrew) or too coarse to gain audience connection (David Troughton, a superb stage actor, possibly miscast in this version as Toby). Tim Supple has a reputation in theatre for his invention and his risk-taking. I think perhaps Twelfth Night stopped just short of what he could have done with it within the context of battles between nations and genders. It is the kind of play which thrives with different interpretations, but this one just leaves you a bit disappointed by the end.
But - overall I felt the poetry of the play to be stifled in its new home, and some characters to either be too cardboard (Richard Bremner's Andrew) or too coarse to gain audience connection (David Troughton, a superb stage actor, possibly miscast in this version as Toby). Tim Supple has a reputation in theatre for his invention and his risk-taking. I think perhaps Twelfth Night stopped just short of what he could have done with it within the context of battles between nations and genders. It is the kind of play which thrives with different interpretations, but this one just leaves you a bit disappointed by the end.