Twelfth Night – Live! premiered on Zoom over three nights only last week and was a complete sellout, and will return for the next four Friday nights.
This highly entertaining version of one of the Bard’s best loved romantic comedies is set on a luxury cruise liner at the height of the Roaring Twenties. 10 actors welcome their Zoom audience on board the glamorous SS Illyria for its maiden voyage where the action takes place amid singing and dancing and much audience participation! Music and songs by the likes of Rihanna, Britney Spears, Radiohead are performed by the company of actor/musicians.
Says Maltings Theatre Artistic Director, Adam Nichols: “During our sellout run of three nights on Zoom we performed to over 500 people – that’s about 200 more than we could have reached if we’d performed at the theatre over the same number of nights. Via ticket sales we were able to pay the cast and creative team and to invest in new technology. We’ve had some great audience feedback proving that audiences are hungry for a live experience and are happy to pay a reasonable price for a ticket. Following all this encouragement we’ve decided to push the boat out – our show is set on a 1920s cruiseship! – and perform the show again, live, for the next four Friday nights. It’ll be a last chance situation; after that we’ll be presenting some new ideas from the Maltings Theatre repertoire.”
The production was originally staged at the Maltings Theatre in St Albans, and the Rose Playhouse Bankside, London; in the Zoom production actors double as technicians and musicians and audiences are encouraged to dress up and bring their own cocktails and props to the show.
Adam Nichols continues: “With ticket prices fixed at £10, it’s a great deal for our regular audiences as well as an exciting opportunity for us to reach audiences around the UK and internationally. Audiences will also be able to meet the cast in ‘breakout’ areas and there will be a post-show chat with cast members Anna Franklin and David Widdowson. Proceeds from ticket sales will go towards supporting actors and creatives as well as securing the future of The Maltings Theatre.”
The Maltings Theatre, a popular fringe theatre in the centre of St Albans, is famed for presenting richly re-imagined classical drama, contemporary theatre, and music to its loyal audience in and around Hertfordshire.
Twelfth Night Live will be performed June 19th, June 26th, July 3rd, July 10th at 8.15pm
Tickets are on sale here https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ovo
