Twelfth Night: Or What You Will (1996)

Director:

Trevor Nunn

Writers:

Trevor Nunn (adaptation)
William Shakespeare (play)

Release Date:

25 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Before Priscilla crossed the desert, Wong Foo met Julie Newmar, and the Birdcage was unlocked, there was...

Plot:

Brother and sister Viola and Sebastian, who are not only very close but look a great deal alike, are in a shipwreck...

Plot Keywords:

Cross Dressing | Mourning | William Shakespeare | Shakespeare's Twelfth Night | Shakespeare

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Imogen Stubbs	...	Viola
Steven Mackintosh	...	Sebastian
Nicholas Farrell	...	Antonio
Sydney Livingstone	...	Captain (as Sid Livingstone)
Ben Kingsley	...	Feste
James Walker	...	Priest
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Olivia
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Malvolio
Mel Smith	...	Sir Toby Belch
Imelda Staunton	...	Maria
Toby Stephens	...	Duke Orsino
Alan Mitchell	...	Valentine
Peter Gunn	...	Fabian
Richard E. Grant	...	Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Tim Bentinck	...	First Officer
Rod Culbertson	...	Second Officer
Jeff Hall	...	Gardener
Rita Connolly	...	Vocalist (voice)
Valerie Armstrong	...	Vocalist (voice)
Peter Beamish	...	Vocalist (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Burke	...	Party Guest / Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Trevor Nunn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Trevor Nunn		adaptation
William Shakespeare		play

Produced by
Christopher Ball	....	executive producer: Newmarket Capital Group LP
Mark Cooper	....	line producer
Simon Curtis	....	executive producer: BBC Films
Stephen Evans	....	producer
David Garrett	....	executive producer: Summit Entertainment N.Y.
Bob Hayward	....	executive producer: Summit Entertainment N.Y.
Ileen Maisel	....	executive producer
David Parfitt	....	producer
Greg Smith	....	executive producer
William Tyrer	....	executive producer: Newmarket Capital Group LP
Ruth Vitale	....	executive producer
Patrick Wachsberger	....	executive producer: Summit Entertainment N.Y.
Jonathan Weisgal	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Shaun Davey

Cinematography by
Clive Tickner

Film Editing by
Peter Boyle

Casting by
Carl Proctor

Production Design by
Sophie Becher

Art Direction by
Ricky Eyres		(supervising art director)
David Hindle

Set Decoration by
Marianne Ford

Costume Design by
John Bright

Makeup Department
Christine Beveridge	....	hair designer
Christine Beveridge	....	hair stylist
Christine Beveridge	....	key makeup artist
Christine Beveridge	....	makeup artist
Eithne Fennel	....	key hair stylist
Helen Johnson	....	makeup artist
Barbara Taylor	....	hair stylist
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou	....	hair stylist
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Johnny Bamford	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Oscar Beuselinck	....	second assistant director: second unit
William Booker	....	assistant director
Emma Griffiths	....	assistant director
Emma Pounds	....	assistant director
Guy Travers	....	assistant director

Art Department
Lee Betis	....	painter (as Lee Betts)
Bobby Betts	....	stand-by painter
Mark Brady	....	stand-by carpenter
Anthony Caccavale	....	painter
Julia Castle	....	art department assistant
David Cheesman	....	dressing props (as Dave Cheesman)
Martin Freeman	....	carpenter
John Greaves	....	storyboard artist
Rebecca Holmes	....	assistant art director
Jonathan Hurst	....	chargehand stand-by prop
Martin Kingsley	....	property master
Colin Lovering	....	scenic painter
Anthony McGee	....	carpenter
John McGee	....	carpenter
Daniel O'Regan	....	carpenter
John O'Regan	....	carpenter
Keith Pitt	....	dressing props
Steven Sallybanks	....	scenic artist (as Steve Sallybanks)
Anabel Yorke	....	assistant to set decorator

Sound Department
Paul Cridlin	....	boom operator
David Crozier	....	production sound mixer
David Crozier	....	sound editor
Diane Greaves	....	foley artist
Joe Illing	....	foley editor
Dominic Lester	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mick Monks	....	assistant sound editor
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alan Paley	....	foley editor
Bob Risk	....	supervising sound editor
Jack Stew	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
James Davis III	....	special effects senior technician
Jeremy Lovett	....	special effects technician
Stefano Pepin	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Courtney Vanderslice	....	head of production: Cinesite
Aviv Yaron	....	Compositor: Cinesite

Stunts
Sarah Franzl	....	stunts
Nick Gillard	....	stunt coordinator
Derek Lee	....	stunts
Lee Sheward	....	stunts
Sarah Franzl	....	stunt double: Imogen Stubbs (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Kenneth Atherfold	....	grip (as Kenny Atherford)
Alex Bailey	....	still photographer
Chris Bain	....	camera trainee
Buddy Blackwell	....	video assist operator
Roy Branch	....	best boy
Paul Brinkworth	....	grip
Steve Costello	....	gaffer
Paul Cronin	....	electrician
Wendy Dixon	....	assistant still photographer
Jeremy Hiles	....	camera operator
Philip Kenyon	....	grip (as Phil Kenyon)
Nigel Kirton	....	steadicam operator
Mick Lay	....	electrician
Rod Marley	....	clapper loader
Pat Miller	....	gaffer: effects unit
Dave Moore	....	best boy
Jason Olive	....	second assistant camera
Peter Robertson	....	steadicam operator
Steve Roberts	....	electrician
Jonathan Sykes	....	first assistant camera
Dean Thompson	....	second assistant camera
Steve Tickner	....	camera operator: second unit
Mike Valentine	....	underwater camera operator
Peter Versey	....	camera operator
Peter Versey	....	camera operator: second unit
George Vince	....	electrician
Tim Wooster	....	camera operator
Jason Wrenn	....	focus puller (as Jason Wren)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maurizio Basile	....	costume assistant
Joe Hobbs	....	wardrobe master
Yvonne Hobbs	....	wardrobe mistress
Sue Honeybourne	....	assistant costume designer
Marcus Love-McGuirk	....	costumer
Berverley Webb	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Tullio Brunt	....	first assistant editor
Paul Ensby	....	color timer
Mike Fraser	....	negative cutter
Liz Roe	....	second assistant editor (as Elizabeth Roe)

Music Department
Sarah Byrne	....	supervising music copyist
Shaun Davey	....	additional orchestrator
Noel Eccles	....	musician: featured percussion
Brian Masterson	....	music recordist
Des Moore	....	musician: guitar solo
Fergus O'Carroll	....	additional orchestrator
Martin O'Connor	....	musician: accordion solo
Alan Smale	....	orchestra leader
Fiachra Trench	....	conductor
Fiachra Trench	....	orchestrator
Denis Woods	....	computer programmer: music department
John Woolf	....	musical director

Transportation Department
Tony Bird	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Libbie Barr	....	script supervisor
Liz Barron	....	financial controller
Grietje Besteman	....	underwater double
Claire Chapman	....	production associate
Cleone Clarke	....	assistant to producers
Gillian Dawes	....	production coordinator
Steve Dent	....	horse coordinator
Karen Gilbert	....	production assistant
Elaine Tyler Hall	....	assistant choreographer
Emma Hepple	....	horse handler
Ian Hodson	....	underwater double
Stuart Hopps	....	choreographer
Jonathan Hurst	....	stand-by person
Julie Linnane	....	accounting assistant
Miara Martell	....	location manager (as Martell)
Elisabeth Penrith	....	stand-in
Nick Prideaux	....	stand-in
Malcolm Ranson	....	fight director
Margaret Teatum	....	post-production accountant
Nick Turnbull	....	stand-by person

Production Companies

• BBC Films (presents)
• Circus Films (presents)
• Fine Line Features (presents)
• Renaissance Films
• Summit Entertainment (presents) (as Summit Entertainment N.V.)

Distributors

• Alpha Filmes (Brazil) (video)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Entertainment (1996) (UK) (theatrical)
• Eurocine (1997) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Fine Line Features (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Focus Film AG (1997) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Líder Films (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Vitória Filmes (1997) (Portugal) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Windmill Lane Recording Studios  music recorded at

Also Known As:

Twelfth Night

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements.

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

UK | Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Cotehele House, St Dominick, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

In Twelfth Night, the character of Orsino is several years older than Viola. However, at the time of the film's release, Imogen Stubbs (Viola) was 35; 8 years older than Toby Stephens (Orsino), who was 27.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Feste's guitar playing for Cesario (Viola) and Orsino does not match up with the soundtrack.

Quotes:

Olivia: Alas, poor fool, how have they baffled thee!

Movie Connections:

Version of Trettondagsafton (1967) (TV)

Lively

A lively, bubbly production of one of Shakespeare's more difficult plays. It's hard to know just what Shakespeare was getting at with this story. The text doesn't always seem to make sense. That's reflected in this, as well as any other, production. At times, one wonders what the expressions on characters' faces are meant to indicate. Just after Feste has fooled Malvolio with his imitation of the curate, for instance, Maria has a perturbed look on her face. As if the joke that she herself so elaborately designed now troubles her. There's nothing in the text to indicate that her expression should show remorse; and yet Sir Toby soon after says that he's sick of the whole thing. Why? That's one example of the difficulty of the text (which may have been corrupted over the centuries), and how it is manifested in this particular production's choices. I don't know why Sir Toby remarks at this point that he's sick of the joke, nor do I know whether Maria should share his feelings.

Another difficulty is the role of Feste. Ben Kingsley fills this role, and because Ben Kingsley is a major star, he magnifies this character (in my opinion) out of all proportion. He becomes a sort of Zen master, pompous and oppressive. His jokes aren't funny (maybe we can't find Shakespeare's jokes funny today, but Kingsley's heavy delivery precludes humor), and his last confrontation with Malvolio comes off as a sort of thundering divine retribution. The entire play, the entire cast, stops dead and Feste takes over as if the whole point of the play has been his apotheosis at the expense of the degraded Malvolio. This surely cannot be what Shakespeare had in mind. Throughout the play he has a disconcerting habit of staring at other characters or the camera with what almost be described as a leer.

Maybe Shakespeare would have sighed and commiserated with the producer of this film, because the clowns in his day were also big stars who demanded a lot of meat in their roles. The trouble is that there just isn't much meat in Feste's role according to the text, so we're stuck with leers and thundering retribution and other inventions. Shakespeare had to accommodate his clowns with ever-more important roles, climaxing with characters like Touchstone and Lear's fool. Kingsley is just inventing his own character. At times his work is interesting, but his weight in the production is, as I said, oppressive.

Still, his screen time is relatively small, and much of the rest of the play is a joy, even if the point of the story isn't always clear. Bonham-Carter was never more alluring, Hawthorne is priceless as Malvolio (he was born for the role), and Smith and Grant are the perfect combination of Belch and Aguecheek. I suppose you might object that all four of them put their eyebrows to such prodigious use that their acting might be characterized as hamming. But I don't see how any of these characters can be played straight if the play is to work.

One thing is for sure, no one would ever accuse this production of bogging down. The pace is lively, the sets and the cinematography are always striking, the score is invigorating, and I suspect that I could watch this film dubbed in Swahili and it would still be a lot of fun. Visually arresting is perhaps the best description.