Shakespeare returns to the Rock: Twelfth Night in a way you’ve never seen it before.

artsorange 100x100By Pepper Parr

June 27, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Trevor Copp has been directing his take on various Shakespeare plays at the RBG Rock Garden for the past five years.

The plays are done outdoors and are skimpy when it comes to the stage set. The backdrops are usually trees bathed in different colours of light.

Trevor Copp

Trevor Copp

There is a certain whimsy to the way Copp takes to something Shakespeare wrote. His direction is something to watch – you see his cast coming to the script as they work through the rehearsal sessions.

Spadafora Claudia

Claudia Spadafora will direct Twelfth Night at the RBG Rock Garden

Shakespeare on the Rock veteran actor Claudia Spadafora will be taking the helm of this year’s production – ‘To be seen or not to be seen’.

Shipwrecked twins, a lovesick duke and a self-important servant walk the runway in the ultimate Miami 80s fashion showdown of desire. Shakespeare’s masterpiece of misdirected desire gets the Vogue culture makeover in this comedy classic.
What does all that mean? Here’s Claudia to let us in:

Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, packed with mistaken identity, romance, farce, and a spirit of rebellion to rival 1980s Miami Beach nightlife.

12th NightTwelfth Night follows an ensemble cast of clowns and lovers alike, all attempting to navigate courtship, relationships, and a few actual ships. At its core, the play is about looking for a life partner and finding yourself instead, often in the darkest and most bewildering of places. Given this description, this version is inspired by one of the darkest and most bewildering places we can think of; a nightclub. This is a space where young people- not unlike the ones Shakespeare was writing- take chances, experiment with self-expression, and show a side of them self they may not reveal in the light of day.

We’ve all been there – or are there – so why not put Shakespeare’s characters there too?

Show will run August 13-31, Weeknights (no shows Saturday or Sundays) at 7pm.

Each performance will include a 20 minute intermission for audiences to enjoy the beautiful Rock Gardens free with their tickets.

CLICK HERE FOR TIX

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