Australian TV Plays: Twelfth Night (12 Oct 1966)

Some Shakespeare. Directed by Ken Hannam. 90 mins.

Plot

The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola (who is disguised as Cesario) falls in love with the Duke Orsino, who in turn is in love with Countess Olivia. Upon meeting Viola, Countess Olivia falls in love with her thinking she is a man.

Cast

Judith Fisher as Viola
Mark McManus as Sebastian
Helen Morse as Olivia
Roger Climpson as Orsino
Lola Brooks as Maria
John Gregg as Sir Toby Belch
Alexander Hay as Feste
Donald McDonald as Malvolio
Alister Smart as Curio
Martin Redpath as Valentine
John Llewellyn
David Copping

Original play

Classic comedy by Shakespeare written around 1601 to 1602. A complete copy is here.

Other adaptations

Done at the Elizbethan Theatre by the "Australian Drama Company" in 1956. This was adapted for ABC radio in November 1956.

The Arts Council financed a touring edition in 1958. John Alden did it in 1960. The Old Vic toured with it in 1962.

There had been a stage production at Moomba in 1966.

Production

In August 1960 an article seemed to refer to it being made that year along with two Shakespeare productions that were, Richard II and MacBeth. See here. This may be reference to a BBC production which was screened for schools in September 1960 see here and here. A review of that is here.

It was shot in Sydney. Ken Hannam directed.

Francesca Crespi designed the costumes. Music composed by Richard Connolly.

Reception

The Bulletin called it "lively" with "a high standard of acting, diction, and intelligence." A later review of Sydney theatre called Helen Morse and Judith Fisher "outstanding".

The Sydney Morning Herald said there was "some gracious acting" but added "regrets remain for the inadequate way in which everything else was presented. The complications brought about by designer and producer made one wish for blessed simplicity in which the players could have been kept in constant close-up for the sheer pleasure of hearing Shakespeare's words and seeing them uttered. There wold have been further delight if those three rich oddities, Malvolio, Aguecheek and Belch, had been performed by character actors rich in comic vein. But the producer, Ken Hannam, was unimaginative with them. The cameras fidgeted, restlessly trying out all the usual ploys and trucks and words often dribbled from the soundtrack - a waste of the actors' presence. The scenes were a clutter of vague shapes which despite outdoor background noises spelled out studio areas. In fact the mechanisms of TV intruded upon the gay sporting of this play and educed it, doubtless with the ever-present excuse of keeping within time limits, to a tentative sketch."