Twelfth Night at Kensington Palace Gardens

If you’re in any way hesitant about sitting through live Shakespeare, don’t be. This new production of Twelfth Night is neither boring nor laboriously long. In just under two hours the Oxford Shakespeare Company jams a treat into this witty outdoor fantasy at Kensington Palace Gardens, from bizarre love triangles to mistaken identities, gender-bending, separated siblings and plenty of sexual tension.

Picture this: It’s a balmy summer’s evening with not a whisp of white in the sky. On the left we have the grandiose ex-dwellings of one Diana Princess of Wales, on the right the classic 18th century residence of the Orangery café looming all terracotta and white with its Corinthian columns over the perfectly manicured grounds of the palace. The stage is spread out on the grass in the form of a beach hut, a Punch and Judy booth, a tent, some deck chairs and a surfboard, where the land of Illyria has relocated to the modern British seaside.

If you’re unfamiliar with this bitter-sweet Shakespearian comedy, Twelfth Night involves Viola – disguised as a bloke and the spitting image of her brother Sebastian – being washed up on the shore following a shipwreck.

On land Lady Olivia is mourning the demise of her brother, where she is the object of soppy Sir Andrew Aguecheek and pompous head steward Malvolio’s affections. The maids are being pursued by Olivia’s debauched uncle, Sir Toby Belch, and Viola enters the service of, and falls for, Orsino ruler of Ilyrria, but (dressed as a guy) she has to woo the lady Olivia on her master’s behalf.

Then Sebastian turns up – and Olivia thinks he’s Cesario. It all sounds like a pretty well-knotted plot, but needless to say the laugh-out-loud moments – and a superb cameo performance by the setting sun – more than make up for any confusion.

On opening night lead actress Claire Cordier is unfortunately ill and replaced by understudy Kirsty Yates who has to tread the grassy boards with her leg in a cast. At times looks like she is in genuine pain but nevertheless she gives a radiant performance.

The costuming is kept mostly contemporary except for the Elizabethan get-up of Viola and Sebastian. There’s some hilarious puppetry with Antonio in the form of a Chucky-style doll in a sailor suit. And both James Lavender and Katy Morgan give outstanding performances as Malvolio and Maria respectively, with the highlight being Malvolio’s yellow swimming trunks/socks ensemble leaving little to the imagination.

A first-rate night of rumbustious fun, and one definitely not to be missed.

Twelfth Night runs until August 15 at Kensington Palace Gardens
Tuesday – Sunday 7.30pm
No shows on Mondays