Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival launches its 35th Season in Vanier Park with Twelfth Night.
Director Diana Donnelly celebrates a topsy-turvy carnival world packed with romance and laughs, adventure, and self-discovery, set to original music by beloved Vancouver singer-songwriter Veda Hille.
This beloved play promises to captivate audiences with its blend of mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and whimsical revelry.
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About Twelfth Night
Set in the colorful land of Illyria, Twelfth Night follows the story of Viola, a young woman shipwrecked on the coast where she has been separated from her twin brother Sebastian who she believes is dead.
Viola disguises herself as a man named Cesario to navigate this unfamiliar territory and enters into the service of Duke Orsino, who sends Cesario (Viola) to woo the beautiful Countess Olivia on his behalf.
However, things take a twist when Olivia falls for Cesario instead of the Duke, leading to a delightful love triangle. Meanwhile, chaos ensues as Olivia’s household is thrown into disarray by the antics of her rowdy uncle, Sir Toby Belch, and his foolish companion, Sir Andrew Aguecheek.
They join forces with the witty maid Maria and the clever clown Feste to play a series of pranks on Olivia’s uptight steward, Malvolia, who becomes the unwitting target of their mischief.
Twelfth Night cast members include
Ivy Charles, Evelyn Chew, Aidan Correia, Charlie Gallant, Olivia Hutt, Nathan Kay, Camille Legg, Anton Lipovetsky, Chirag Naik, Dawn Petten, Christine Quintana, Munish Sharma, Nadeem Phillip, Andrew Wheeler, and Marcus Youssef. Understudies for Twlefth Night are Kate Besworth, Matthew Ip Shaw, and Billy Marchenski.
The vibrant atmosphere and colorful characters will immerse theatregoers in a festive spectacle that celebrates the spirit of summer.
Set Designer Pam Johnson will transform the stage into a “circus carnival festival” creating a playing space where actors will play in a world filled with joy and passion. Costume Designer Mara Gottler has crafted costumes for every character with the theme of carnival couture.
Additional members of Twelfth Night’s production team include Rick Boyton (Creative Consultant), Kate De Lorme (Sound Designer), Gerald King (Lighting Designer), Jonathan Hawley Purvis (Choreographer/Fight Director), Anton Lipovetsky (Music Director), Lisa Goebel (Intimacy Director), Alison Matthews (Head Voice & Text Coach) and Heidi Wilkinson (Head of Props). They are supported by Joanne P.B. Smith (Production Stage Manager), Jennifer Stewart (Assistant Stage Manager) and Harlow Nguyen (Apprentice Stage Manager).
Event Details
When: June 11 – September 21 on various nights
Where: Vanier Park, Vancouver
Cost: $30-90. You can purchase tickets online here.