BACKGROUND:

Hall's revival of Twelfth Night at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre sought to give equal weight to the comic lightness and melancholic heaviness in the drama through a combination of visual effects and innovative characterization. Lila de Nobili's set designs were described by Robert Speaight as "a rich symphony in russet," and the court of Illyria was reminiscent of Charles IPs, with costumes patterned after the portraits of Van Dyck and Rubens. Most noteworthy among the principal roles was Geraldine McEwan's Olivia, which portrayed the Countess as a sharply satirical figure incapable of seriousness. Dorothy Tutin's Viola received unanimous approval; Peter Jackson commented that her portrayal was "wonderfully boyish, breathless, and bewildered and always completely audible." Other performances included Richard Johnson as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Cyril Luckham as Feste, Michael Meacham as Orsino, Miranda Connell as Maria, and Douglas Rain as Malvolio. While this staging pleased audiences, critics such as Roy Walker voiced certain objections: "This was a Twelfth Night that did not altogether succeed, but a production that continually threw fresh light on a comedy about which most of us have long ceased to think freshly." The production was revived by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1960 with several major cast changes.