TWELFTH NIGHT

At Jericho Arts Centre until July 24

Tickets: 604.684.2787

www.williamshakespearestwelfthnight.com

Lori Triolo's performance as Olivia in this What You Will Equity Co-op production is a thing of beauty: regally commanding yet bubbling with girlish excitement, chaste yet lusty. And, since the actors portraying the object(s) of her desire are both a few years younger than Triolo herself, there's a tantalizing whiff of the cougar about her performance, too. Her hands are so expressive, and it's so lovely when, near the end, she beckons Viola (whom she mistook for a young man). "Sister," she calls out while fluttering her long fingers in Viola's direction the way a little girl would reach out eagerly for a cookie.

Tariq Leslie plays Malvolio and directs this surprisingly good production--surprising because he's working with such a slim purse. And there's much to recommend in a scaled-down, intimate production of Shakespeare. Our attention is so focused and perhaps, given such proximity to the actors, we get meaning from their faces and gestures when, at times, Shakespeare's language leaves us behind.

Leslie sets this romantic comedy in Edwardian times so costume designer Kenda Ward puts some of the men in tight breeches and long, cutaway jackets; Olivia appears in an elegant black silk gown. Set design by Leslie and Kyla Gardiner is simple but sufficient. The placement of a downstage left garden bench, however, presents some sightline difficulties for those sitting directly behind it.

Twelfth Night is one of those Shakespeare plays that requires suspension of disbelief. Twins Viola (Courtney Lancaster) and Sebastian (Adam Bergquist), each believing the other to have been lost at sea, wind up in Illyria. Viola arrives first, disguises herself as a young man, calls herself Caesario and finds employment with Count Orsino (Trevor Devall). The Count, enamoured of Olivia, sends Viola/Caesario to woo her on his behalf (probably because Olivia is sick to death of the sight of Orsino and has repeatedly told him she cannot love him).

Next to arrive on the scene is Viola/Caesario's look-alike twin Sebastian accompanied by the seafaring Antonio (a sinister-appearing Yurij Kis) who rescued him from the waves.

The subplot concerns Olivia's steward Malvolio, a wet-blanket sort of fellow who's always trying to squelch the drunken antics of Olivia's cousin Sir Toby Belch (Michael Smith) and his sidekicks Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Paul Herbert) and Fabian (Ashley O'Connell). With the help of Maria (Bronwen Smith), Olivia's servant, they hatch a nasty plot to make Malvolio look like an idiot.

Moving between the two households is Feste (John Prowse), Olivia's Fool. I can usually do with less of Shakespeare's fools, and despite Prowse's fine singing and drumming (accompanied by Ross Smith on guitar) and clever repartee, I could have done with less here, too. Nor have I been much of a fan of Sir Toby or Sir Andrew, but Smith and Herbert do it just right. These characters are often played as over-the-top fops, but here they're just a couple of silly, hard-drinking fellows. Herbert can raise a laugh by simply pausing in the middle of a line as if his character has lost his train of thought.

Young Lancaster, as Viola/Caesario, takes on this big role with confidence, grace and youthful charm. While her character has obviously fallen for Orsino, Lancaster keeps it nicely contained, never farcical. Arriving later in the play, Bergquist makes Sebastian a bewildered but willing lover. With a little imagination, this Viola/Caesario and this Sebastian could be brother and sister.

As for the dark subplot, Leslie plays up Malvolio's spoilsport side so that when his character is unfairly disgraced, we see why Malvolio has attracted such animosity.

I've seen both lighter and darker Twelfth Nights and that's the joy of Shakespeare: there's always room for a fresh view. This one, quite different from the others, is definitely worth checking out--especially to experience Lori Triolo's exquisite performance.

joled@telus.net