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By Citizen Reporter

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Twelfth Night for National Theatre

Award-winning actress Tamsin Greig features as a transformed Malvolia.


Twelfth Night, the acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identity – filmed live at the National’s Olivier Theatre in London – is the next National Theatre Live broadcast on the big screen.

The production releases at Ster-Kinekor’s Nouveau cinemas on Saturday for limited screenings.

This joyous new production is directed by Simon Godwin (NT Live’s Man and Superman, The Beaux’ Stratagem), with Olivier Award-winning actress Tamsin Greig (Friday Night Dinner, Black Books, Episodes) as a transformed Malvolia in this new twist on Shakespeare’s play.

Viola (Tamara Lawrence) is washed ashore after her ship crashes on the rocks. Determined to survive on her own without her twin brother Sebastian (Daniel Ezra), she steps out to explore a new land.

So begins a whirlwind of mistaken identity and unrequited love.

The nearby households of Olivia and Orsino are overrun with passion. Even Olivia’s upright housekeeper Malvolia (Greig) is swept up in the madness.

Where music is the food of love, and nobody is quite what they seem, anything proves possible.

The cast also includes Doon Mackichan (Smack the Pony, Plebs) as a gender-flipped Feste, Phoebe Fox (The Hollow Crown, A View from the Bridge), Daniel Rigby (Eric and Ernie, One Man, Two Guvnors) and Oliver Chris (The Office, One Man, Two Guvnors, Green Wing).

Twelfth Night releases on South African screens for four screenings only on May 27 and 31 and June 1 at 7.30pm and on May 28 at 2.30pm at Ster-Kinekor’s Nouveau cinemas in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, and at Ster-Kinekor Gateway in Durban.

The running time is approximately three hours, including an interval. Launched in 2009, National Theatre Live broadcasts have been seen by an audience of over 6.5 million people at 2 500 venues in 60 countries.

The first season began in June 2009 with the acclaimed production of Phédre starring Oscar winner Helen Mirren.

For booking information on Twelfth Night, visit sterkinekor.com

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