Twelfth night (a lo Tango) - an Epiphany Theatre Production

‘Twelfth Night’ (a lo tango) was Epiphany theatre’s second production following its formation in 2001. The group comprises Worth Old Boys and Old Girls of Burgess Hill, the girls’ school with whom Worth has enjoyed fruitful collaboration in drama since 1997.

The production sought to unite Shakespeare’s rowdiest comedy with the world’s sexiest dance. A union, which, I have to admit, initially seemed as possible to me as Graham Norton marrying Cameron Diaz. However, as our director, Nick Connolly, had foreseen ‘Twelfth Night’ with its earthy, errant and hedonistic plot and sub-plot is ripe for revelation through the medium of dance.

The hedonism that runs throughout the play is perhaps most apparent in each character’s self-absorption. In Illyria everyone lives behind a façade of self-deceit. Olivia hides behind a black veil, supposedly mourning her brother, yet succumbs with startling celerity to the arrival of an attractive young man. Orsino is plagued by rhetoric and narcicissim. Sir Toby, whilst perceptive of other’s faults, has willingly succumbed to his own shortcomings.

‘Twelfth Night’ is a picture of a world turned upside down, the bawdy sub-plot interweaving with and often overpowering the supposed main plot line. The sheer sensuality of the Tango is a vehicle for the natural hedonism of the play and helps eke out physical aspects of relationships that often go unexplored.

My involvement in the play makes it impossible for me to offer an objective criticism of our performance. However, as always with Nick Connolly productions, Epiphany strived toward a professional approach. Mammoth commitment had to be made in order to prepare the play over an intensive four week rehearsal period, with many of the cast juggling work and travelling daily from London, or further afield, sacrificing their free time to get the show on the road. The commitment of those involved, on-stage and off, was phenomenal and needed to be to produce this play.

We also had to learn how to Tango. Thankfully, in Shelley Love, we had a choreographer blessed with talent and enormous patience. Suffice to say that the play would not have succeeded without the team Nick assembled behind the scenes: Judy Neane’s make-up, Claudia Silva’s costumes and the help of many others with the creation of the set helped create this production as much as anything done on stage.

The production seemed to be very well received and we hope that productions by Epiphany are set to become a regular fixture on the WOBS calendar. The support of WOBS is vital to the success of this venture and illustrates that the society encompasses more than dinners and rugby. It is a multi-faceted society and reflects the diversity that is so vital to the Benedictine ethos of Education that Worth represents.

In ‘Stephen Hero’ James Joyce described an epiphany as ‘the most delicate and evanescent of moments’. This is the essence of drama, the ability to vividly capture fleeting moments. Theatre is always a living thing that feeds on the interaction of the art and the audience. Hopefully, with the continued support of WOBS, Epiphany will be able to represent these delicate and evanescent moments for many years to come.

Danny Garrigan
Gervase 1999