BACKGROUND:

John Gielgud's 1955 production at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was received with muted praise, despite the central performances of Laurence Olivier as Malvolio and Vivien Leigh as Viola. This staging also featured a witty, gay Feste, played by Paul Daneman, and a sombre Sir Toby Belch, enacted by Richard Burton. Despite a strong cast, critics charged Gielgud with failing to unify the romantic comedy of the play within his production's espousal of realistic characterization. This was particularly apparent in Olivier's Malvolio, which presented the steward as a self-made man who had carefully studied aristocratic ways and speech. Olivier lent the character a degree of seriousness and dignity that critics found wholly original. The reviewer for The Times nevertheless noted that this interpretation resulted in the miscarriage of Malvolio's comic scenes. Althought Leigh's Viola was complimented for her boyish charm, several critics faulted her handling of the verse. Other performances included Keith Micheli as Orsino, Alan Webb as Sir Toby, Michael Denison as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Maxine Audley as Olivia.