DIRECTOR Jo Davies DESIGNER Leslie Travers LIGHTING Jack Knowles SOUND Pete Malkin COMPOSER Alex Baranowski MUSICAL DIRECTOR Tarek Merchant TWELFTH NIGHT By William Shakespeare 13 April- 20 May PERFORMED BY Aaron Anthony (Antonio), Mina Anwar (Maria), Simon Armstrong (Sir Toby Belch), Harry Attwell (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Anthony Calk (Malvolio), Daniel Francis-Swaby (Sebastian), Joe Gravil (Musician), Kevin Harvey (Orsino), Kate Kennedy (Olivia), Tarek Merchant (Valentine), Jill Myers (Sea Captain), Kate O Donnell (Feste), Faith Omole (Viola), Kate Young (Musician) TEACHER RESOURCE This resource has been created by the Royal Exchange Participation & Learning team. It has been written with Key Stage 3, 4 & 5 Drama and English teachers in mind, but many of the activities can be adapted to suit other subject areas and age groups. The resource aims to enhance students understanding of the TWELFTH NIGHT rehearsal process and spark interesting conversations about the production. Images are by Johnathan Keenan. CONTENTS PAGE Synopsis 2 The Concept 5 Costume Design 7 Rehearsal Insight: Observer Monday Blog 11 1
SYNOPSIS The play starts with a storm. It looks like it s raining on the stage, and there s sand on the ground. Above the stage, is a large construction that looks a bit like a tangle of branches, or a nest, or a beautiful wooden sculpture. During the play, it moves and at one point becomes a kind of cage or prison. A young woman is carried onto the stage by a group of people, led by a woman singing and playing the violin. Throughout the play, we can see how the musicians who play violin, guitar, several brass instruments and accordion move in and out of the story on stage and sometimes play from an area on the theatre s first gallery. We are on an island. The sailors leave the young woman lying on the sand and she recovers. She is Viola and she has been shipwrecked; she has been brought to the island of Illyria. She was with her twin brother Sebastian who is thought to be drowned. She decides to disguise herself as a boy and call herself Cesario. This way she will be safer on her own, and can maybe get work. Faith Omole as Viola in Twelfth Night Meanwhile, we find out that the Duke of Illyria, Orsino, is in love with his neighbour, Olivia. He is trying to work out how to get her to love him. She is grieving the death of her brother and doesn t seem interested in Count Orsino. 2
Count Orsino gives Viola (now called Cesario) a job as his page and gives her/him the task of helping him to get Olivia to love him. He asks Cesario (Viola) to take her a ring. We meet two Sir Toby Belch who is Olivia s uncle and is living in her house. He is always drinking and often drunk he likes to have fun and always has several bottles of alcohol in his pockets and hidden down the sofa. His friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek comes to visit and Sir Toby pretends to help him to have a romance with Olivia; really, he s just having a joke at Aguecheek s expense! Cesario (Viola) meets Olivia to try and explain Count Orsino s love for her, but two things go wrong. Olivia falls in love with Cesario (Viola) not knowing her to be a woman. Meanwhile, Cesario (Viola) is falling hopelessly in love with Count Orsino! Cesario s brother, Sebastian, has not been drowned! He has been rescued by a sea captain called Antonio. He is upset because his sister is missing and he thinks she must have drowned in the shipwreck. Antonio gives money to Sebastian to help him survive in Illyria but will not travel with him as he knows the Illyrians believe him to be a pirate, so he needs to keep out of people s way. Harry Attwell as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Feste the jester, and Olivia s maid, Maria, have a wild party. Malvolio, the steward of the house, comes in and is very angry with them for behaving so noisily and badly late at night. They decide to play a cruel joke on him to wind him up. Maria writes a letter which she pretends is from Olivia, confessing her love for Malvolio. He finds the letter, deliberately dropped on the path, and decides to follow its instructions, that he should wear yellow stockings with crossed garters. 3
Olivia declares her love for Cesario (Viola). Oh dear! Furious with jealousy, Aguecheek challenges Cesario (Viola) to a duel. In this production of the play, this is a boxing match. Antonio arrives and mistakes Cesario (Viola) for Sebastian. He gets involved with the duel, defending Cesario (Viola) who he thinks is Sebastian. Antony calls her Sebastian and for the first time Cesario (Viola) realises her twin brother may be alive. Malvolio is behaving quite madly, calling Olivia sweetheart and repeating phrases from the letter to her. She thinks him crazy and gets him locked up, asking Sir Toby Belch to keep an eye on him. Anthony Calk as Malvolio in Twelfth Night Sebastian arrives and Aguecheek mistakes him for Cesario (Viola) so hits him. Olivia arrives just in time to stop real trouble. She thinks Sebastian is Cesario (Viola) and is delighted when he returns her romantic affection at last! Olivia sends for the priest for them to get married. Count Orsino and Cesario (Viola) come to Olivia s where they meet again with Antonio. Antonio believes Cesario (Viola) is Sebastian and accuses him/her of being ungrateful. Then Olivia arrives and announces that she has just married Cesario (Viola). Sebastian enters and Cesario(Viola) reveals herself for who she really is. The confusion ends. The Duke Orsino realises he is in love with Viola and she agrees to marry him. Sir Toby Belch and Maria also decide to get married. Everyone is happy. Apart from Malvolio. Feste sings a song to end the play. 4
THE CONCEPT Speaking in a design meeting, director Jo Davies explained that that in the play TWELFTH NIGHT, she was thematically struck by the sense of time. The concept and design of the production is playing primarily with the themes of time and shipwreck and focusing on how this works in the space. The play has an inverted structure, the second scene has been placed first. Therefore, the play begins with a sense of storm. We discover Viola on Illyria surrounded by sailors. We get the sense that Illyria is not a welcoming place- hostile with piracy and violence. Jo Davies, director. The Floor The floor represents a trapped event, a freeze frame of the storm. Made from resin, it will be high gloss to give a lustrous feel. The furniture will look like it is sunken into an oceanic floor. The whirligig of time Above the stage there is a knot of brittle wood, woven into the lighting grid. Designer Leslie Travers has created a whirligig of time, which is referenced in the play. There is a sense that the space is alive when the audience entre the theatre module. Through the structure above sand drips slowly, as if through an hour glass. The sand creates an island in the centre of the stage. The sand remains present throughout the play. Later in the play, the whirligig from above moves down to imprison Malvolio. The Party Sir Toby and Sir Aguecheek enter Olivia s house after a night out, they are trying to be quiet but are failing miserably. With them they have a stolen shopping trolley, mirror ball, helium balloons and a karaoke machine. There is a reference to the song So What? by P!nk. What is important is the sense that the whole space is having a party. The audience join the party. Then, Malvolio stops the party for everyone. Jo Davies, director. Why Not? Read this interview with designer Leslie Travers. Have a look at this video in response to the set of Twelfth Night. The video is not only an ode to the design but also to the wonderful and unique space at The Royal Exchange Theatre. Click here: Creating the Knot- Leslie Travers 5
Twelfth Night at The Royal Exchange Theatre 6
COSTUME DESIGN The costumes in TWELFTH NIGHT are contemporary with each character having a style of their own. Costume changes will be fluid transitions, such as taking off hats and opening coats. We wanted to create a world where anything is possible. Illyria can take you anywhere. Leslie Travers, designer VIOLA & CESARIO Viola will begin wearing a white lace dress which is symbolic as she is about to enter a world of absolute darkness. Due to the storm and the shipwreck, when we first meet Viola will be wet and bedraggled. The costumes for Cesario will be dynamic and masculine and will allow the character to move quickly around the space. SEBASTIAN The costume for Sebastian will mirror that of Cesario in both colour and style. 7
OLIVIA At the start of the play Olivia will wear trousers and will be covered in a black veil, symbolic of her grief and her shrouded world. When she falls in love her trousers become a pencil skirt and her top will be like before but more slightly more exposing and less mournful. In a design meeting, Davies commented that the contrast of height in the actors playing Olivia (Kate Kennedy) and Viola (Faith Omole) makes interactions between the pair very dynamic. A member of the Wardrobe Department creating Olivia s costume at the Royal Exchange. 8
MALVOLIO Leslie Travers describes Malvolio as a British version of House of Cards. His yellow and black helmet is introduced early in the play when he enters riding a bicycle. This suggests that he could already have the full yellow Lycra body suit in his wardrobe. The contemporary cross-gartered yellow stockings are added to this Lycra. SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK He has money but no taste. Always trying really hard to get it right. Over tailored (inspired by Vivienne Westwood), and slightly trashy. 9
FESTE The costumes for Feste will be fun and fabulous. Each feather on the dress will be indiviulally hand-dyed! Kate O Donnell as Feste in Twelfth Night 10
Rehearsal Insight: Observer Monday Blog Observer Mondays offers emerging directors opportunities to observe rehearsals every Monday from the first day through to press night. Written by emerging director Gareth Mattey, this blog will give students a unique insight into the rehearsal process of TWELTH NIGHT. Week 1 Before I begin my first blog covering the first day of rehearsals, I have a confession to make. I violated the terms of the Observer Monday agreement for directors, by sneakily observing a Tuesday morning rehearsal as well. I hope you will all forgive me for my transgression and I hope that the fruits of this Tuesday morning help to contribute to understanding the development of this production of Twelfth Night! Meet and Greet The first week of rehearsals for Twelfth Night have taken place in London, at Graeae Studios, and after travelling down on the Sunday afternoon and spending the night at a hotel, I met up with the production s assistant director (Andy Routledge) as we walked to the rehearsal studio. It was a great chance to meet and talk to Andy about working at the Royal Exchange and about this upcoming production of Twelfth Night as well as a great way to assuage my nervousness about this first day it s everyone s first day, Andy reassured me. One of the interesting ways to explore a director s practice is to think about how these tensions are mitigated on the first day and how relationships within the company are developed and explored from this first starting point. In total, there were approximately twentysix people in the room including Jo, the director, Leslie, the designer, Kay Shepherd the movement director, Lee, the company manager and the assembled cast and stage management team. After an initial round of introductions running around the assembled group, we immediately moved onto a getting-to-know-everyone game which everyone took part in (including myself), where in pairs we would relate our life story to our partner before having to present their story to the group as a whole afterwards. What was great about this process was the way in which Jo engaged everyone with it; regardless of what capacity they were involved in with the production. It not only helped immediately attach names to faces but also allowed us access to people s previous work and Jo Davies director of Twelfth Night 11
personal lives from the very beginning. It was this combination of engaging everyone and also presenting to the group as a whole that colored a series of rhythm games we all undertook afterwards (switching pairs with each variation). The atmosphere was exciting, fun and incredibly collaborative and a brilliant way of defusing any potential tension or embarrassment while setting a solid foundation for the company spirit needed to make Twelfth Night an exciting and unique production. Model Box Showing After this series of games, we gathered round for Leslie s showing of the set model and of the costume design ideas for the show Jo actively encouraging us to not sit distant around tables but to crowd further in to see the model together. Through the model showing, Leslie and Jo described the creative ideas and processes that had taken root, with key words being thrown out like loss, storms, knots, of order and disorder together and most significantly, time. It is a design in which the audience will find themselves in a position very similar to the shipwrecked Viola on the shores of Illyria unaware of what this world will contain, both excited and threatened by its potential. Read Through After lunch, the cast began a read through of the play, but with a bit of difference. Jo intentionally wanted them to read a role other than their own one, regardless of gender a tactic to help the cast gain a greater understanding of the play as a whole as well as giving them the chance to hear their role being performed by someone else. This was a tactic I found really fascinating as it gave them a chance to listen and hear to what their own character says and what people say about your character - this really opened up the play to strong critical discussion as the read-through progressed. Kate O Donnell as Feste in Twelfth Night 12
Through the afternoon s read-through, the company only reached Act 1 Scene 4 they would read the scene through once and then go back to discuss it, analysing the language, tone and position within an understanding of the wider play. It was fantastic to see how eager the cast were to engage in this discussion and it ranged across a wide variety of topics, from the historical conditions of the play s writing and performance, the intricacies of Shakespeare s language through to historical and contemporary ideas of gender and performance. While progress through the play was slow, it allowed the whole company to truly flesh out every moment and every scene from the play. What I haven t mentioned though about the read-through though was just how funny it was! This wasn t just an academic exercise in understanding Shakespeare, but a chance to hear and find the comic heart of the piece, particularly in the Act 1 Scene 3 with the first appearance of Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Maria. Anyone concerned that this might be an overly-serious, overly-academic production of Twelfth Night need not fear! In fact, this initial read-through exposed one of the key things about the play how it is more than just a comedy without sacrificing being funny at any time. A Sneaky Tuesday Morning As I admitted, I also managed to sneak in to observe the Tuesday morning s rehearsals, causing mild confusion to many given how effectively I had introduced myself as the Observer Monday participant the previous day. The day began with a movement workshop led by Kay Shepherd, which involved initially warming up before moving on to workshops built around reacting to one another s movements and following a leader (building from in one continuous line to smaller groups) and then developing short improvised movement narratives around the key words storm and shipwreck. This was a great improvisatory exercise that specifically engaged the whole cast in one of the early scenes of the play (Viola shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria and the Sea Captain s recounting of the events) that we had read the previous afternoon. Through this, Jo drew on the discussion and questions they had had regarding this scene and invited the actors to physicalize it, to find and build a narrative through movement to explore these themes and this opening scene. As the groups developed their narratives, they drew further on the Captain s description of the shipwreck and the questions it raised Sebastian s survival upon the mast, Viola reaching the shores of Illyria and whether or not they appeared to see the other drown. The cast brought so many dynamic elements to these physical narratives and the level of creativity and willingness to contribute was incredibly high and they were in themselves a joy to watch! Furthermore, Jo made clear how pursuing this physical interpretation of a scene works wonders for recognising just how mobile and physical Shakespeare s language is and how important it is to keep that sense when speaking it. The final part of this workshop incorporated music into this process. Here, one team would provide the soundtrack to the other group s performance, which allowed me to see some of the actor-musicianship of the production at work. Out of the cupboard emerged a trumpet, a euphonium, a guitar, a violin and an accordion and the actor-musicians (alongside the actors who contributed to the sound world vocally, with breath and through the percussive potential of the floor) improvised and played with what the sound world of 13
this tense shipwreck environment might be. It was a fantastic way to end this development workshop as suddenly these physical narratives took on an even more affecting and alluring quality with the addition of this improvised music. My experience previously as a director has often focused on music so I am personally very excited to see how the relationship between the play, the cast and the music will develop from this point! So from just a day and a half of rehearsals there was such an amazing amount of collaborative creative energy expended from all involved (and so much to process). Apologies for the extra-size first entry but I am particularly thankful for being allowed in for that extra day and a half given my interest in music and the chance to share that further! I cannot wait to see how this production will develop further! Musicians in Twelfth Night 14
Week 2 The second week of rehearsals roll around and this Monday, rehearsals have now moved up to the rehearsal studio at the Royal Exchange. After a meet and greet with the entire staff at the Royal Exchange and an introduction to the theatre and the space we begin. Once everyone s been introduced, Lee (the company manager) gives a few introductory notes about working at the Royal Exchange before taking us all down to the theatre itself a place I ve been to see many productions at but never had the chance to look around myself. We stand on The Suppliant Women set and as Lee takes us through the practical details of the theatre (entrances, exits, the colour coding of the stairs, where the deputy stage manager will be for the show), Andy (assistant director) remarks that it doesn t matter how many times he s been in there, he s still overawed by the space. Jo refers to it as a magical space. They re not wrong. There s really nothing quite like it. Character Workshop For the rest of the morning, we return to the rehearsal room and set up a character hotseat, for the cast to feedback on what they ve discovered about their character through the read through Jo had asked them to focus on factual details about their character and on what other characters say about them. For example, Simon Armstrong (playing Sir Toby Belch), is a knight, is Olivia s uncle, he doesn t like Malvolio and he has a clear love of language. He is someone who thinks why use one word when six can do? In this session, we focus on Sir Toby, Malvolio, Olivia and Sir Andrew. What is particularly interesting to note is the shared surprise that everyone has about how little factual detail there is about their characters. So much about them is up to the actor and the company to infer and to develop. It leaves so much space for the interpretation of roles that have been performed again and again for over four hundred years. Furthermore, when thinking about what other people say, so much is dictated by personal biases and again hard to trust we basically hear only negative things about Malvolio and we hear so much from everyone about Olivia s character. It is also clear (returning to the company feel of the room) that everyone has developed not only a good understanding of their own character, but also of their role within the wider play and of the play as a whole. Again, everyone is involved and contributing to a discussion on different themes, ideas and questions that the play raises where did Maria learn to write? What does Olivia s relationship to Malvolio mean following the death of her father and brother? The definite feeling that Sir Andrew is the only new person in Olivia s household. As Jo and the cast explore what is interesting about this world, these people and their relationships, it becomes clear why she invited them to begin with the factual details of their character. Starting from a factual basis keeps character development and backstories firmly rooted in what we know from the text. While this is definitely going to be a new and exciting interpretation of the play, there is no question whatsoever it will be completely rooted in the text of the play itself. 15
Week 3 The first thing I notice coming into the rehearsal room on the third week is that the walls are now getting increasingly covered with costume designs and drawings, with images of the set model box, with thematic and visual inspirations, with notes on parts of the text and with handwritten responses to what Illyria is like, what Orsino s household is like. I spend time throughout the day where I can to wander around and read everything it s a common rehearsal tactic to stick everything on the walls but one I ve always loved as it makes the room feel lived in, and devoted to the production at hand. There s something reassuring about it, rehearsing with the bones and ideas of the play laid bare all around you! Rehearsal Room Rigorousness For most of the day (all of the morning and the first part of the afternoon) we are focusing on one section of Act 1 Scene 5, with just Faith (Viola) and Kate (Olivia). It is the scene wherein Viola as Cesario brings her first message to Olivia from Orsino. As we sit to read it through first, it s readily apparent how much confidence and presence the actors are developing with their characters and it s not long before they re up onto their feet with the scene. This rehearsal bears a lot of the hallmarks of previous ones I ve observed the discussions, the questions, the exercises pushing the characters to extremes of emotion. What is significantly different about this rehearsal is the rigorousness of it. This is only a few pages of dialogue between two characters but it is central to the development of the later play Olivia first falls in love with Cesario here. So much of the later plot development depends on finding out the right way to do this scene, so it s no surprise that nearly four hours are spent on just these few pages! 16 Kate Kennedy as Olivia in Twelfth Night
Part of this rigorousness is seen in how Jo breaks down the scene with the actors. They find a series of dramatic beats, subtle moments where the relationship between the two slowly shifts and deepens. As they bring it into the space, it is clear that there is so much speech and so much space to work to keep active. Jo responds to this readily and the exercises become more physical, more mobile, never forgetting that this performance is in the round and to keep Shakespeare s language static is a disservice. Another exercise asks the performers to repeat back the last line spoken to them before carrying on their own lines through this tactic, they re forced to really listen to one another, to connect and to respond and to give voice to their own thoughts as they listen. There s a lot of trial and error through this process, finding moments that don t work throughout and a lot of focus from all involved in the room. At times it veers towards a more comic interpretation (Faith demonstrating a clear aptitude for comic timing and invention) and at others, towards a more tragic understanding. By exploring these potentials, and always keeping in mind the questions behind the scene (of grief, of flirting, of honour, of genuineness), the texture of the performance becomes thicker and thicker. At the end of this rehearsal, I wouldn t say we reached a definitive idea of what should occur in this scene. But what I did see was how such a close, focused approach to a scene, breaking it down into pieces, thinking of the effect of individual lines on characters and relationships, can yield incredible dramatic results. This kind of focus is something that all actors and directors are used to and it s great to see it done here, with such a deep sense of commitment and professionalism. If music be the food of love, play on After this, the rehearsal for the rest of the afternoon shifts to music. The dynamic in the rehearsal room subtly changes to one I m a bit more used to, one where the musical director (Tarek) brings his own creative input alongside Jo s. There s a similar pattern to how we ve rehearsed the scenes before, starting with a sat down sing-through before moving into the space. We start with one of Feste s love songs, a deep and melancholic piece where we can really hear the influence of folk in the composition but also the darker edge given to this. The music is currently scored for the actor-musician ensemble of violin, accordion, euphonium/trumpet and a guitar, played in a very unique way. Kate O Donnell s Feste is relaxed yet deeply melancholic (a sign of a good fool) and Jo and Tarek play with the timings of the scene and the music, with her relationship to her listeners, with how her voice pushes and pulls the musicians into the space. Following this, we hear one of Viola s songs, sung for Orsino in his household which has a completely different energy brighter, more playful yet still tinged with an edge of melancholy. I manage to have a quick chat with Jo about the shift from rehearsing text alone to rehearsing with music. It s really wonderful to see how excited directors can get when music comes into the room, and Jo insightfully remarks that music is so seductive. Listening to them play that afternoon, it s very true that it has completely drawn me in. For the rest of the afternoon, the musicians, musical director and composer play with the accompaniment to Viola s song, and listening to them play and experiment is truly a wonderful way to end a day. 17
Week 4 It s hard to believe how quickly time has passed since that first day and how close we are getting now to the first performance. Rehearsals for the day show this rather than isolated, individual, scenes, the day is devoted to three scenes (the beginning of Act 3) and putting them together in sequence, building the connective tissue between them. These moments in rehearsals, where you start to put everything together, are so crucial, as you start to see the play as a play, rather than as a series of independent scenes. I know that the company have run Acts 1 and 2 in the week previously, so I m interested to see how they continue to drive forward this Monday. Confidence and Comedy We start with Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, as the latter threatens to leave again. What s immediately apparent in the morning is how quickly the actors get these scenes up onto their feet. They still start with a read-through but now, after this initial read, everything is played physically, on their feet in the space. This comes across in the verse too the verse is now starting to sound less like lines learnt by characters and more like dialogue between people. To help maintain this, Simon (Sir Toby) and Harry (Sir Andrew) improvise in modern English before jumping into the scene. It s a short-lived spur but one that keeps the sense of the scene flowing, finding a conversational tone. As they develop the scene, they build the intensity and excitement of it, physically, aurally and verbally. It s an active, engaging and very funny short scene, especially when Mina (Maria) joins in. What Jo identifies as so important in short funny scenes like this is how important it is that comic characters are not just funny, not just caricatures, but that they are real people. The company don t shy away from moments of seriousness within the comedy (for example, how insulted Sir Andrew can be by Sir Toby) and vice versa. In fact, they continue to embrace these moments and it adds so much to the colour and texture of them. It s a key point about tragicomic plays like Twelfth Night not every moment of a funny scene needs to be funny, though there s no question that this is a very funny moment! 18 Simon Armstrong as Sir Toby Belch
Antonio and Sebastian Following this, we shift focus to Act 3 Scene 3, between Antonio and Sebastian. I m glad to have the chance to observe this in rehearsal as not only have I not seen either of the performers in several weeks, but I ve also always enjoyed the subtle touches of this storyline. After an initial playful line running exercise passing a ball between them (a good physical exercise for an energetic language), we dive straight in. The two of them bring out a lot of subtlety in this moment a strong sense of camaraderie and friendship with an ambiguous touch of the homoerotic is clear and Jo encourages them to play with the ambiguities of their relationship. Aaron Anthony as Antonio in Twelfth Night To develop this further, Jo invites them to perform a short improvisation to think of this scene in light of their last one and to play the moment that Antonio catches up to Sebastian despite foreswearing his company in the last scene. What is their reunion like and how does it affect the scene? There s a lot of personal and relationship dynamics at work and they progress through it breaking down the scene into different parts and beats, identifying the shifts in mood and the natural places for pauses and hesitations. There are especially a lot of questions about Antonio so little is said about him so there is a need for some detailed discussion as they explore his role in this world. Into the Module Later in the afternoon, the rehearsal moves out of the rehearsal room and into the theatre itself, the central module. Beforehand, Jo had mentioned to the actors how important it is to not necessarily always try to play the entire space at the same time. She reminds them 19
that not one bit of your body is not being watched and so it s essential to play your whole body for everyone if someone is watching your back, make sure your back is as engaged and a part of things as the rest of you. It s certainly a challenge (very few theatres need you to engage your back in character!) but an exciting one that makes the Royal Exchange such a special place to perform in. They put all of this into practice in the space as they rehearse Act 3 Scene 1 before putting these scenes together without stopping stopping just before the infamous yellow stockings incident. I was quite glad about this as part of me is hoping for that moment to be a complete surprise in performance! This rehearsal is a lot about embracing the realities of the space thinking of the practical and technical matters of staging, positioning, how the voice is used and how body language is read. Everything is at play now and the space suddenly feels so huge there is a lot to play out, and especially up! Jo leads them through many different physical exercises to build things up, to find the strong physical stories that can be read from anywhere in the theatre. It s taxing work, physically and mentally, to make sure you keep active enough for all audience members and Jo is rigorously preparing them for it. At the end of the day, we return to the rehearsal room and Jo starts giving notes out to cast members from the previous week s run. It suddenly strikes me that not only is the piece developing in the rehearsal room, but that it continues to develop outside of the rehearsal room now, as the cast take on Jo s notes. It really is an all-encompassing, nonstop process and the production will be all the stronger for it! As notes are finished and we prepare to leave, some of the play s music bleeds through the walls and it is something truly special each time I hear a new snippet of music, I get more and more excited for the final result! 20 Faith Omole as Viola in Twelfth Night
Week 5 As we push into the fifth week of rehearsals, I find myself in a bit of a pickle. The show is getting closer and closer to performance and in writing this blog, I find myself thinking how much can I write without now giving away things about the performance before it even happens? There continues to be so much that excites me in rehearsal that I want to excite any audience members just as much, even if they ve been reading this blog. So apologies in advance if this blog feels like it s holding a few things back; the truth is that I am holding things back, but it s ultimately for your benefit! Viola and Orsino I m a little bit late to arrive in the morning, and as I enter, Jo and Faith are working on another of Viola s soliloquys. What is immediately clear is, along with Jo s process, how much Faith is self-noting with confidence at the beginning and through the rehearsal. Jo and Faith have clearly developed a strong, shared sense of who Viola is and what Viola would do the two of them are pulling together in the same direction at all times. Even saying this though, Jo continues to give Faith provocations to continue building on an already strong base freeing up her energy, locking movement, speech and thought together, flowing between comedic and serious moments. It s amazing how close their relationship and how even in week five, Faith continues to respond to Jo pushing her in working through the scene. Despite being in the rehearsal room, the realities of the Royal Exchange s main space are constantly present that was too quiet, this felt too planned, that didn t feel present enough in the space etc. Following this, we re joined by Kevin (playing Orsino) and it s a treat to watch the two of them together. Playing with completely different energies to Viola s soliloquy beforehand, balancing Orsino s relaxed and intimate energy with Viola s restlessness. There is a great amount of emotional subtlety to this moment, with Kevin inviting further ideas on the power dynamics (a servant telling a duke what he can and cannot do) as well as the ambiguous intimacy between them. Kevin Harvey as Orsino in Twelfth Night There is a very careful management throughout of the tension between them, in relation to the text and to the characters. Andy 21
reminds us how important it is to get this scene right after this scene (2.4), we don t see Orsino again until the end of the play. So much important detail about how Orsino and Cesario relate to one another, the detail that makes the ending successful, needs to be developed here. As we continue to rehearse this scene, the musicians are brought into it and the emotional texture suddenly doubles and triples in one go. Such little gestures particularly the way in which the guitar is played and handled throughout bring so much to this moment. The practicalities of working the musicians into this scene are all about taking time. The music doesn t need to be rushed (even this far into the rehearsal process!), it needs to be woven in, to be given time to establish and given time for us as audience members (and for the performers in the scene) to wait for it and listen to it. Jo and Tarek are very clear that music isn t to be wedged in for the sake of it, but that they ve got to work to make sure music is a part of this world. Throughout my blogs, I ve become more and more excited about the musical dimension of this show and watching this scene develop really shows why with such skill in music and performance, tiny subtle gestures connect the music to the scene and connect the audience to the scene. Act 5, Scene 1 The afternoon is suddenly a lot busier! The entire cast are present to start work on the final scene of the play, Act 5 Scene 1. I find it a little bit surprising that work on the ending has only just started in the fifth week of rehearsals but there is a definite logic to it. This scene is entirely about unravelling the knotty texture of the plot into a happy ending; it seems that Jo has focused on making sure the company sees how tight and complex this knot is before turning to how it s undone. Starting by reading through the scene, there s a clear sense that there s a lot to be done to mitigate the audience expectations and the problems of a Shakespearean finale. We ve got to avoid the sense that we re winding down to a happy ending, that the ending is coming now so we can lower the stakes and let things flow to their expected end. Thinking about it more, it s something that has definitely plagued quite a few productions of Shakespeare that I ve seen (including my own attempts previously) and so, as they get the scene up on it s feet, there s a lot to play with (and a lot of people to play it) to make sure the scene still feels like a continuing story. I have to say, I m quite surprised by just how many significant tonal shifts there are throughout this scene and also how much danger there can be here it s a much more complex and interesting scene that I originally envisioned, and I ve seen and read the play more than a few times! Watching Jo through this rehearsal is fascinating as so much of what I ve observed of her process as a director is at work all at once the practicalities of directing traffic through this space, the management of tone, the facilitation of discussion (especially facilitating the cast to not second-guess some of their instincts when playing with the scene) and the careful guidance towards its conclusion. It s definitely a complicated afternoon, but having seen how Jo works and how much the cast consistently bring to the drama, I have no doubt as to their ability to not only untangle 22
the knot of Twelfth Night s plot, but to keep it interesting, engaging and present while doing so! Mina Anwar as Maria in Twelfth Night 23