Shakespeare’s Globe reopened its Bankside auditorium with a roaring, music-infused Twelfth Night, restoring the theatrical energy that fans have missed during the hiatus. The production, directed by Robin Belfield, leans into a carnivalesque sensibility that feels perfectly pitched to the Globe’s outdoor summer setting. The Standard’s review highlights Belfield’s party-like approach and centres Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo’s Viola, whose cross-dressed incarnation anchors the comedy with a bristling mix of wit and vulnerability. Time Out London, meanwhile, frames Sean Holmes’s staging as a buoyant, cabaret-like voyage where the Love Boat-inspired set, SS Unity, and amplified sound create a live, festival-friendly atmosphere that keeps the audience in rhythm with the action. Taken together, the prevailing impression is of a joyous, communal experience that makes Shakespeare’s merriest comedy soar in the open-air space.

The Globe’s official page for Twelfth Night reinforces the production’s lush, collaborative scope: a rich company—Viola, Sebastian, Orsino, Olivia, Malvolio, Maria, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Feste and Antonio—brings the Illyrian world to life, while the 2021 incarnation under Sean Holmes is described as Americana-infused, lively and flirtatiously exuberant. Critics’ accounts pick up these threads: the Guardian praises the show’s infectious energy and carnival atmosphere, singling out Nadine Higgin’s Sir Toby Belch, Sophie Russell’s Malvolio, and Michelle Terry’s Viola in her cross-gender majesty as standout elements; the design juxtaposes Elizabethan textures with contemporary movement, and the production’s brisk pace is noted for its brisk, witty momentum. Alexandra Coghlan’s Arts Desk review complements this picture, lauding a high-energy revival built around a bright, Love Boat–style ship and an ensemble whose mischief and musicality underpin the entire show, even as it acknowledges moments when spectacle temporarily eclipses Shakespeare’s poetry.

Critical consensus across the season leans into the same core strengths: infectious energy, fearless staging, and a palpable rapport with Globe audiences, while prompting questions about balance. The Guardian’s perspective foregrounds the carnival mood and the strength of individual performances, yet observes that the pace can outpace dramatic subtlety at times. The Standard’s review, in its turn, celebrates the riotous joy and the cohesion of the company, insisting the production remains a fitting, celebratory interpretation of the merry comedy staged at the Globe. Taken together, these evaluations sketch a production that is as much a celebration of communal theatre as a faithful Shakespearean romp, with a performance vocabulary that leans into music, movement and spectacle to spark laughter and delight.

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Source: Noah Wire Services