A shipwreck separates twins Viola and Sebastian – neither knowing whether the other survived. A local Duke is in love with a grieving countess, who in turn is falling for his new emissary. A trio of revellers plot to bring down the steward who seeks to curtail their fun. There is something for everyone in Shakespeare’s 17th century play, which at its heart explores questions of love and identity, all while serving a healthy dose of comedy.
This production of Twelfth Night from Sheffield Theatres is brilliantly funny, and director Jamie Glover and his team have led the company to a product that is accessible, and full of energy and interesting character nuance.
The maid, Maria (Katie Wimpenny), has an agency and feistiness that I have not seen in previous productions, and which scratches at the dynamic between employer and servant. Feste (David Birrell) also walks a careful line between freelance entertainer and employee, all while providing musical commentary on the mood and action of the play. Birrell has great personality and authenticity on stage, and his voice – whether singing or speaking – held the audience through laughter and emotion and rightly distanced the character from a traditional superficial fool. Mention too must go to Bebe Sanders, whose portrayal of Viola/Cesario was outstanding. Her instinct on when to push through dialogue or pause and hold a moment was great to watch, and she is able to convey a huge amount with only a look or gesture.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the spoken clarity of the production; I have often in the past been frustrated when watching Shakespeare performed without any amplification, but not here.
It should be noted that I didn’t review the play on press night, and Christopher Jordan took on the role of Malvolio and really made it his own. It never felt like he was playing someone else’s part, and while not every element of the Malvolio revenge storyline landed perfectly for me, I enjoyed watching Jordan portray giddy lovesickness and grave despair with equal authenticity. Even with one swing performing with script in hand, the production remained tight and well managed.
The set design by Amanda Stoodley was beautiful in its simplicity, with just three automated benches and a moveable set of translucent drapes covering a giant sun/moon. Genuinely though, that was all that was needed, and it allowed the words to speak for themselves. It also allowed the actors to focus on the words, without the distraction of having to move pieces of set. The lighting, designed by Richard Howell, was gorgeous, guiding the eye through the play with ease, and dramatically providing a dungeon cell in such a way that I immediately forgot that they hadn’t moved an entire set onto the stage just for that scene.
I was left with a couple of lingering questions about the production; I found Orsino’s relationship with Viola to be a little too subtle and lacking in chemistry, I was left wondering about Sebastian’s motives, and I couldn’t quite work out the decisions behind all of the costume choices.
That said, this is an extremely funny play, extremely well performed, and is a great opportunity to enter into the world of Shakespeare without prior knowledge or experience.
Twelfth Night continues at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield until Saturday 31st October 2026. More details and ticket information can be found on the website: https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/. Information about accessible performances can be found at the same link.
Reviewer: Jo Tillotson
Reviewed: 20th October 2026
North West End UK Rating: