Somersfield Academy's Modern Take on Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’

October 13, 2011 — On Tuesday, Somersfield Academy will present ‘Twelfth Night’, the tale of the faithful Viola, shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria. In the guise of the youth Cesario, she enters the service of Duke Orsino and woos the lovely Olivia on his behalf. Unfortunately, Olivia falls in love with the messenger while the messenger falls in love with her employer. To stir the mix further is Viola’s brother Sebastian, who looks uncannily like his sister. Mistaken identity, cross-dressing, situation comedy, witty lines, and duels pepper the plot.

Somersfield has given the play a modern twist, Ailey McLeod explained. “It’s set in a school a couple of days before prom night to make it relatable to a modern audience.” “It’s really fun,” she said. “There’s not been a lot of time to rehearse, only two months. We’ve put in a lot of effort, but it doesn’t feel like more work. I think we’re going to do a good job.”

Aiyetoro Hinds plays the Duke Orsino and thinks the audience will enjoy seeing the play from a new perspective. He has found the experience enjoyable and identifies with his character: “He reminds me a bit of myself in a way, because he’s proud, not afraid, outspoken.” The Duke’s love interest, Viola/Cesario, is played by Camila Papdopoulo, who has found the experience interesting. “I’ve never played a boy before. It’s supposed to be funny because the Duke is falling in love with his best friend.” Their production is unusual in that a number of the male roles are actually being played by girls.

This excerpt from the article, “Schools prepare for Shakespeare play”, was originally published in The Royal Gazette