Twelfth Night now on stage at the Stratford Festival

April 26, 2024… Get ready to be swept away in a whirlwind of passion, laughter and enchantment as one of Shakespeare’s beloved plays, Twelfth Night, takes to the Festival Theatre. Making her Stratford directorial debut, Seana McKenna directs the romantic comedy.

This production takes us back to the late 1960s, just before the Summer of Love. A terrible storm leaves Viola shipwrecked on the island of Illyria. A woman alone in a strange land, Viola disguises herself as “Cesario” and enters the service of Duke Orsino to deliver love letters to Countess Olivia. Orsino’s plan backfires when Olivia falls for Cesario, whose heart now belongs to Orsino, who is still smitten with Olivia. When Viola’s twin brother appears, complications peak! Twelfth Night is a sumptuous feast of high poetry and riveting drama.

“I have a long and loving relationship with Twelfth Night,” says McKenna. “I always hear or see something new in it. That’s why we keep coming back to Shakespeare’s plays: we identify or empathize with different characters as we go through different times in our lives.”

Twelfth Night features Laura Condlln as Malvolio, Jessica B. Hill as Viola, Sarah Dodd as Maria, Deborah Hay as Feste, Vanessa Sears as Olivia, André Sills as Orsino, Scott Wentworth as Sir Toby Belch, and Rylan Wilkie as Sir Andrew Aguecheek with Hilary Adams, David Collins as Sea Captain, Nick Dolan, Thomas Duplessie, Austin Eckert as Sebastian, Jenna-Lee Hyde, Andrew Iles as Valentine, John Kirkpatrick as Priest, Tarique Lewis as Curio, Jonathan Mason, Marissa Orjalo, Glynis Ranney, Antonette Rudder, Michael Spencer-Davis as Fabian, Rob Stone, and Emilio Vieira as Antonio.

The creative team includes Set and Costume Designer Christina Poddubiuk, Lighting Designer Bonnie Beecher, Composer Paul Shilton, Sound Designer Verne Good and Choreographer Stephanie Graham.

Twelfth Night officially opens on May 27 and runs until October 26 at the Festival Theatre. Tickets are available at stratfordfestival.ca or by calling 1.800.567.1600.

The 2024 season also features Something Rotten!, Romeo and Juliet, London Assurance, La Cage aux Folles, Wendy and Peter Pan, Salesman in China, Cymbeline, Hedda Gabler, The Diviners, The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? and Get That Hope. For more information, visit stratfordfestival.ca.

This production is dedicated to the memory of Marti Maraden, actor, director and artistic director, with enormous gratitude for her contributions to Canadian theatre.

The 2024 season is generously supported by Ophelia Lazaridis.

Proud 2024 Season Partners: BMO Financial Group and RBC.

Support for the 2024 season of the Festival Theatre is generously provided by Daniel Bernstein & Claire Foerster.

Production support is generously provided by Priscilla Costello, Dr. Desta Leavine in memory of Pauline Leavine, Peggy Ptasznik, Laurie J. Scott, The Whiteside Foundation and Catherine Wilkes in memory of David.

CAST (in alphabetical order)

Hilary Adams                          Ensemble
David Collins                          Sea Captain

Laura Condlln                         Malvolio
Sarah Dodd                             Maria
Nick Dolan                             Ensemble
Thomas Duplessie                  Ensemble
Austin Eckert                          Sebastian
Deborah Hay                           Feste
Jessica B. Hill                         Viola
Jenna-Lee Hyde                      Understudy
Andrew Iles                            Valentine
John Kirkpatrick                     Priest
Tarique Lewis                         Curio
Jonathan Mason                      Ensemble
Marissa Orjalo                        Ensemble
Glynis Ranney                        Ensemble
Antonette Rudder                   Ensemble
Vanessa Sears                          Olivia
André Sills                              Orsino
Michael Spencer-Davis          Fabian
Rob Stone                               Musician
Emilio Vieira                          Antonio
Scott Wentworth                     Sir Toby Belch
Rylan Wilkie                           Sir Andrew Aguecheek

ARTISTIC CREDITS

Director                                   Seana McKenna
Set and Costume Designer     Christina Poddubiuk
Lighting Designer                   Bonnie Beecher

Composer                                Paul Shilton
Sound Designer                      Verne Good
Fight and Intimacy Director   Anita Nittoly

Choreographer                        Stephanie Graham
Assistant Director                   Lydie Dubuisson
Assistant Set Designer            Freddy Van Camp

Assistant Costume Designer   CS Fergusson-Vaux
Assistant Costume Designer   Katherine Hochman
Assistant Lighting Designer   Linas Kairys

Associate Fight Director         David Chinchilla

Stage Manager                        Anne Murphy
Assistant Stage Manager        Erin Fitzgerald
Assistant Stage Manager        Caitlin Mears
Assistant Stage Manager        Corinne Richards
Production Stage Manager     Krista Blackwood
Production Assistant               Lourdess Sumners

Technical Director                  Robbin Cheesman