This ‘Twelfth Night’ adaptation follows the shipwrecked Viola as she dresses up as a boy so she can work, not knowing that her twin brother has also survived; confusion ensues. Shakespeare can be hard to follow, and using song doesn’t make it any easier; this show is difficult to follow if you’re not familiar with the original play. That said, this is really well acted and impressively sung – these are dedicated, talented actors, delivering a piece of powerful theatre. Particular mention goes to the comic sub-plot, with Malvolio and the clowns who are terrific. The only thing letting it down is the lyrical writing – clumsy rhyme schemes and needless complexity means it makes for a distracting performance on the whole.

C, 15 – 20 August, 12.25pm (1.55pm), £4.50 – £9.50, fpp235.
tw rating 3/5
[klc]