A gathering of British theatrical royalty has cast a new spell, celebrating what many consider to be the finest comedy ever written. The Twelfth Night Reunion, a one-off event hosted by Gyles Brandreth and recorded at Richmond's Orange Tree theatre, is now available for all to watch on YouTube.
A Constellation of Stage Legends
The special programme, which served as a highlight of the recent Christmas television schedules, assembles an illustrious ensemble. Alongside Dame Judi Dench, the panel features Simon Callow, Stephen Fry, Penelope Wilton, Robert Lindsay, Tam Williams, and Stefan Bednarczyk. Each shares intimate memories and professional insights from their encounters with William Shakespeare's timeless play, Twelfth Night.
The format is elegantly simple, allowing the actors' anecdotes and expertise to shine. Simon Callow recalled the profound "melancholy magic" of John Barton's legendary 1969 Royal Shakespeare Company production. He also revealed a personal connection, discovering that the drunken Sir Toby Belch was "basically my father" when he played the role at the National Theatre.
Backstage Stories and Fiery Debates
The reunion is packed with delightful revelations from decades of performance history. Dame Judi, who played Viola in Barton's production, recounted a famous comic moment created by Donald Sinden's Malvolio. In the garden scene, Sinden's character painstakingly adjusted a sundial to match his own fob watch, a piece of business that brought the house down.
Stephen Fry, who has played Malvolio on stages from Shakespeare's Globe to Broadway, praised the play's flawless structure. He also disclosed a backstage intellectual clash with his co-star Mark Rylance over the authorship of Shakespeare's works, quipping that Rylance's mind was "so open his brain has left him". Fry confessed to struggling with Malvolio's prison scene, a difficulty he later found was shared by greats like Sir Ian McKellen.
Penelope Wilton shared her strategy for dealing with a bawdy Sir Toby while playing Maria, refining her accent until she sounded "like an announcer on Radio 3". Meanwhile, Tam Williams, who played Viola in an all-male Propeller production, likened the play's ensemble requirement to "a Liverpool football team of the 1970s", where every player must be at their peak.
The Heart-Stopping Finale
While the event is rich with humour, including a stellar Olivier anecdote from Robert Lindsay, its most powerful moments are profoundly moving. The first comes as Dame Judi Dench performs Viola's "she sat like patience on a monument" soliloquy. She mines the speech not for comedy, but for a deep, resonant sadness, highlighting Viola's empathy for the lovelorn Olivia.
The reunion culminates in a second, unifying moment. Stefan Bednarczyk, who was Feste in the Orange Tree's own 2024 production, leads the entire cast and audience in singing the play's final, poignant song: "A great while ago the world began...". These simple lines, reflecting on life's transience, provide what the programme suggests is the perfect ending to Shakespeare's masterpiece, bringing a touching close to a celebration of enduring theatrical passion.
