Large Print Reviews - Twelfth Night - By William Shakespeare

Large Print Reviews

Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare
A Fully-Dramatized Recording
From:
The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare: 38 Dramatized Plays
All 38 of Shakespeare's plays available in one extraordinary, definitive collection , complete and unabridged, fully dramatized on CDs with an original score and sound design for each play.
The Audio Partners Publishing Corp., (2003)
An Unabridged Dramatization on Two CDs
ISBN: 1-932219-36-6
Genre: Drama - Comedy

Reviewed by Rochelle Caviness - May 11, 2003

Twelfth Night is a comedic classic by William Shakespeare that centers upon the misadventures of the Countess Olivia who is in love with Cesario, the servant of Orsino, the Duke of Illyria. This Elizabethan soap opera is further complicated by the fact that Duke Orsino is in love with Olivia, and Cesario is really a woman named Viola, who disguised herself as a man after being shipwrecked on the shore of Illyria.

Shakespeare's flare for the dramatic irony is at its highest in this play, which uses 'gender bending' as a prime foil for Shakespeare's wit. In it, he has Duke Orsino order Cesario to court Olivia on his behalf. In true soap opera fashion this is merely the tip of the comedic iceberg. For, not only does Olivia love Cesario, but Cesario is in love with Duke Orsino. As can be expected there are numerous busy bodies who get between the confused lovers, which greatly adds to the humorous escapades that pepper this delightful story.

This rollicking comedy is one of the 38 Shakespearean plays to be found in The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare. This is a fully dramatized recording, performed by past and present members of the Royal Shakespeare Company. This dramatization stars:

Niamh Cusack as Viola/Cesario
Jonathan Firth as Duke Orsino
Amanda Root as the Countess Olivia
Paterson Joseph as Feste, a clown in the service of Olivia
Dinsdale Landen as Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's uncle
Will Keen as Sebastian, Viola's twin brother

This unabridged dramatization of Twelfth Night has been issued on two CDs, and comes complete with liner notes that provide a scene by scene synopsis of the play, a cast list, and tracking list that will enable you to easily find each act and scene in the play. This is a full stage dramatization of the play, and it is rounded out by a musical score composed by Dominique Le Gendre and accompanying sound effects.

This production of Twelfth Night is phenomenal, both in regard to the acting and for its sound quality. This production is an outstanding educational and entertainment resource.

Related Reviews:

A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare.
This is a comedy of errors that occurs when a magic fairy potion that causes a sleeper to fall in love with the first person they see upon awakening, is misused.
Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare.
This gripping tragedy revolves around the assassination of Julius Caesar and the ensuing civil war.

Books by William Shakespeare in Audio Formats

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