La dodicesima notte

Losing her brother at sea, Viola lives vicariously through him by subsuming her own identity and serving Count Orsino as a man. Orsino is in love with the fair Olivia; but when he sends Viola to plead his suit, Olivia, thinking she's an attractive young man, falls for her in one of literature's most comical love triangles.

The BBC's ambitious Complete Works of William Shakespeare (1978-1985) did well by Shakespeare's comedies. After all, what new could they say about the tragedies?

They couldn't always get their fists on the illustrious actors they wanted. This version has a well-chosen Felicity Kendall ("Good Neighbors") as Viola. An overacting Robert Hardy is the aptly named Sir Toby Belch. Alec McCowan is fine as the tortured Malvolio. Robert Lindsay would be better (a revelation, in fact) in "Much Ado About Nothing." Feste, one of Shakespeare's hopelessly unfunny clowns, is perfectly played by Trevor Peacock.

The later movie may be slicker wirh bigger stars but this is an excellent fuller version of the play. It also has a wonderful set, so superior to later, minimalist sets in the series.

If you like this play catch other comedies in the Complete Works of Shakespeare series, such as "Much Ado About Nothing," "The Taming of the Shrew" and "As You Like It."

Twelfth Night as of now is my favourite of Shakespeare's plays, and this is a truly delightful version, tying with Kenneth Branagh's 1988 adaptation as my favourite of the four versions so far seen(the other being the Nunn film and the hard to find 1987 Australia version, both good). The costumes and sets are charming and very sumptuous as well as some dark tinges to add some dimension to the play(if not as much as Brannagh's, which is the most successful at bringing this side out), with the photography suitably skillful. The writing is as witty and funny as ever, and the story still has its charm. Generally I thought the cast were great. Ronnie Stevens' Sir Andrew Aguecheek didn't have to go into falsetto as often as he did, but he was nonetheless amusing. Sinead Cusack is a moving Olivia and Clive Arrindal a dashing Orsino. Annette Crosbie is excellent as Maria and Robert Lindsay is a perfect Fabian as is Robert Hardy as the slovenly and often hilarious Sir Toby Belch. Trevor Peacock is decent as Feste(though I thought Branagh's Feste was more effective), Felicity Kendal is a charming and impish Viola and just about convinces as a boy and Alex McCowen is an obseque and indignant Malvolio. I also want to give this performance credit for making Antonio's desire for Sebastian believable and quite moving, something that could've fallen flat but didn't. Overall, if I had to choose which I just preferred out of this and Branagh's version, I say Branagh just edging it but this is a delightful version regardless. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox.

Generally, this space gets lists of good points, lists of bad points, a few irrelevant personal details, and if we're lucky, the reviewer's pet's reaction.

Well, this video is as close to perfect as you could hope for. A strong cast without a weak link, excellent pacing, gratifying visual design.... What am I going to complain about?

Um...Sir Andrew Aguecheek didn't have to go up into falsetto quite so often.

Ah...the sound engineers had trouble keeping up with the shouts and murmurs; perhaps if they had lowered the shouts and raised the murmurs....

Oh, just go ahead and watch it. It doesn't get any better than this.

I am not a student of Shakespeare or knowledgeable.

This play moved me to tears of joy and sadness.

I have never found Shakespeare comedies funny before but this performance was excellent and funny.

The stand out performances for me were Sinead Cusack and Felicity Kendal.

I always knew Cusack was an excellent actor but Kendal was a revelation.

Buy and enjoy.

The straightforward paths of tradition and attention to textual detail may not always lead to striking originality, but they can, as in this case, beget an appropriately humorous and a nearly definitive version.

Filmed in and around an Elizabethan manor house, this production has the grace and authenticity of its setting.

Feste is so believable that he seems to have come with the house, not the acting company.

Felicity Kendall is reasonably boyish as Cesario, but attractive enough that we never lose sight of Viola.

Toby has enough heft and charm to pass as Falstaff's younger brother.

Malvolio is stuffy without becoming a caricature; Andrew is a dolt with touches of pathos; and Olivia is beautiful enough to excite the jealousy of any Viola.