On the 25th of April, I spent my Saturday evening watching Brushstroke Theatre Company’s production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night – featuring HC’s very own Elinor Lower!
It was a rather unusual theatre experience for multiple reasons:
1) It was staged outside, in Victoria Square in lovely Clifton.
2) My friends and I were unable to find a blanket to bring to sit on, so we improvised and brought a florescent pink yoga mat.
3) It began horrifically raining about half way through the show.
Some folks brought picnics and chairs, and one couple even had a cheeky bottle of champagne. Passers-by, some amused, some baffled, often stopped to watch for a few moments, clearly intrigued by what was going on.
The performance itself was extremely entertaining. Shakespearean comedy can be very tricky to get right, even more so than tragedy, because it relies on meticulous comic timing as well as an audience willing to go along with the banter. My favourite laugh out loud moment was Malvolio appearing on stage in the infamous yellow stockings scene. However, the actor who stood out most was the hilarious Tom Phillips who played Sir Toby Belch in a manner reminiscent of Captain Jack Sparrow at his most drunk.
Then the heavens opened.
Light drizzle turned to vicious peltings of rain, and despite our waterproof jackets and umbrellas, we were soon soaked. We pathetically gave up ¾ of the way through and rushed home for a hot chocolate.
I wish I could tell you how the rest of the play went, but from what I saw, it was a fantastic effort from everyone involved, especially considering it was absolutely free to watch.
Photo Credits: Alice Trocellier, Ahsraf Juanda, Abbie’s own