Review RSC Twelfth Night: Doctor Who and All Creatures stars shine in bittersweet Christmas comedy
Some treasured theatre moments are unforgettable. Like seeing beloved All Creatures Great and Small actor Samuel West sliding down a fireman’s pole with no trousers on. Yep, this refreshing new Twelfth Night by the Royal Shakespeare Company(RSC) is nothing like you expect.
It’s the RSC’s big Christmas show for 2024, running until January 18, 2025, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, and they’ve brought in fresh new eyes to turnaround an old classic. Director Prasanna Puwanarajah is an actor himself, even playing Martin Bashir in Netflix's final series of The Crown.
He’s brought a heady mix of mirth, music and also melancholy to this Shakespearean comedy that feels fitting for our time. He’s also lined up some TV big-hitters like Freema Agyeman, famous for playing Doctor Who’s former companion Martha Jones, and Joblin Sibtain, who is Brasso in Star Wars spin-off Andor. While Emmerdale and Doctors fans will instantly recognise Danielle Henry.


Most prominent of all is Sam West as Malvolio. The son of Prunella Scales and the late, great Timothy West is well on his way to becoming a 'national treasure', already a favourite in Channel 5's All Creatures Great And Small. This stellar performance only solidifies his status.
It's an entertaining Shakespeare play involving mistaken identities and romance but also unrequited love and pranks between servants that get out of hand.
While Twelth Night has often been done purely as a farce, Puwanarajah weaves in poignant, morose aspects of the storyline as shipwrecked twins wash up on Illyria causing mayhem and misunderstandings between Duke Orsino and the grieving countess Olivia refusing his attentions. It's got depth as it skips beautifully between laugh out loud hilarity and the melancholy of grief and rejection.


Visually, it draws on 1930s styles and the gothic imagery of Tony Award winning costume designer Edward Gorey. Butlers in the Duke’s household tango together and hold up umbrellas in remarkably memorable scenes that are the essence of feeling lovelorn.
Music is key to this production too with an original and haunting soundtrack especially created by songwriter Matt Maltese. There’s even a massive organ brought on centre stage for much of the action. I noticed Sam West had a tinkle on these organ ivories too.
West revels in playing Olivia’s head servant Malvolio as a jobsworth with ambitions of grandeur. With a soft Cockney lilt, he's seen spoiling the staff Christmas party and openly sneering at his colleagues before he gets his come-uppance.


For those that enjoy watching West in All Creatures Great And Small, he gives Malvolio a similar pedantic nature to Siegfried but is far more ambitious, lusty and outrageous in this performance. West revels in the comedy of Malvolio's embarrassment, cavorting trouserless in a riotous and frenzied standout scene.
Although the whole cast impresses. Agyeman’s lovesick Olivia is delightfully randy and obsessive, who you can imagine Facebook stalking if she were around today. Sibtain is a towering presence as drunken troublemaker Sir Toby Belch. He sizzles with unpredictability and always a slight hint of menace.
Then there is the exceptional Michael Grady-Hall as jester Feste. Grady-Hall parades like a street artist, often interacting with the audience.
Descending from the ceiling while singing a haunting melody, he makes quite the grand entrance and will have several more delightful solo moments to enthrall the crowd. He’s just one of the gems of this bewitching show.


Puwanarajah has worked his magic on creating something fresh and constantly fascinating. It’s a scintillating Twelfth Night of many layers, often hilarious, sometimes bittersweet but always a delight. It’s a beautifully crafted comedy apt for our time. Rush and see it while you can, I’m already looking to go back.
The RSC’s production of Twelfth Night starring Samuel West runs at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until January 18, 2025. Running time is just short of three hours including an interval. Tickets cost from £8 to £80.