‘I am all the daughters of my father’s house, and all the brothers too…’ takes on a whole new meaning in the latest offering from Theatr Clwyd; a reimagined interpretation of the classic ‘case of mistaken identities’ Shakespeare play, Twelfth Night. Juliette Manon’s vision for the play is exciting, fresh and brings whole new meaning to the gender swapping of the original. Putting queer relationships at the forefront of the production is something that never feels forced and gives whole new meaning to the classic romantic comedy.

After a shipwreck, we follow the action of Cesario, who is a reimagining of the character, Viola. Viola metaphorically drowns in this bold new interpretation, however, and is transformed into Cesario. This negates the original ‘disguising’ of Viola as Cesario and thrusts Cesario centre stage. With slight plot changes and pulling subtext to centre stage. Lee Braithwaite’s delicate handling of the role is a centre piece to the audience accepting of the change of Viola to a trans character in this production. It never felt forced or as if it was preaching to the audience; a lot of this was down to the charismatic and grounded delivery of Braithwaite. The Bard’s original lines actually fit remarkably well and his delivery only aids in realising this new vision.

The theme of queer relationships run throughout the production, with gender swapped characters and amalgamation of Feste and Fabia into one character, which blurs the binary of gender. Sir Toby Belch is transformed to Lady Toby. Her relationship with Maria, is joyous and raucous. The relationship of Antonio and Cesario’s brother, Sebastian is also playfully explored throughout the production and once again, it’s amazing how well Shakespeare’s original lines play into this. For so many changes, it takes remarkably little time for us to fully accept the amendments and throw ourselves wholeheartedly into the reinterpreted tale.

The whole design of the piece leans heavily into the 1970s and Cai Dyfan’s costume design is suitably bold and vivid. The costumes play well into the comedic elements of the play, with a particular stand out being the sequinned gold catsuit, worn by the hilarious Phylip Harries as Malvolio, which he tears asunder to reveal his yellow stockings and cross garters. The whole cast are suitably suited and booted and fits in really well with the set design, also designed by Dyfan, resplendent with chandelier, vinyl player and lift which pings with great hilarity throughout many of the scenes. The set seems to also be in transition, with stone peeling away, the chandelier initially crashed onto stage but lifting to become the centrepiece and the shallow pool used to great effect at the end to really drive home the transformative theming.

The production feels slick and confident, the design and direction bolstered by an excellent cast throughout. The pace is rapid, the jokes and slapstick comedy unrelenting and the talent is obvious. Manon’s production draws on the original gender flexibility of the original piece in new and exciting ways and delivers a production that is visually beautiful but also beautifully inclusive of every aspect of the community of Ilyria. This is a joyous production and one that I am definitely glad to have been able to catch before it leaves the Sherman Theatre.