Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park Theatre will proudly host the hugely acclaimed Filter Theatre Companies Twelfth Night, from 25th – 29th March, which drags Shakespeare kicking and screaming out of the dusty confines of the classroom and reminds audiences why Shakespeare was THE original people’s playwright.
This production is unlike any that you will have ever seen before, wonderfully inventive, funny, exciting, exhilarating theatre at its very best. To encourage as many people as possible the theatres have slashed the cost of the usual ticket price, as Artistic Director Chris Jordan explains: “I am so excited that this production will be coming to Eastbourne, we want as many people as possible to try it so we have slashed the price of tickets to just £12.50. This is done because we truly believe that this is event theatre, which simply cannot be missed.”
The well-loved aspects of this favourite Shakespeare classic remain the same, but it is presented in a wonderfully anarchic way; the house lights will be kept on throughout, the stage is stripped back, the actor musicians will take the audience on a true celebration of the text and the characters. The show changes at every performance, some nights the audience have been involved in a conga-line, pizzas have been delivered and even drinks passed around the audience! One thing is guaranteed however this is Shakespeare as you have never seen it before. Music features a big part of the production, as it would have been when the play was first performed in 1600’s England.
Filter’s characteristically radical and riotous interpretation of this classic reaffirms their reputation as one of the most consistently inventive and critically acclaimed theatre companies working today. The experience is more akin to a rock concert than classic theatre, creating an amazing live chemistry between actor, audience and text.
This story of romance, satire and mistaken identity is crafted into one of the most exciting and accessible Shakespeare productions Eastbourne has ever seen. Olivia’s melancholic puritanical household clashes head on with Sir Toby’s insatiable appetite for drunken debauchery. Directed by Sean Holmes, artistic director of Lyric Hammersmith.
Filters Twelfth Night appears at Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park Theatre from 25th – 29th March, with nightly performances at 7.45pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm and Thursday at 2pm. Tickets are priced at just £12.50 and can be booked by calling the box office on 01323 412000 or online www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk. Suggested for ages 12+.
