Shakespeare in the Park - Twelfth Night at Pumphouse, Takapuna

Disguises, Trickery and a bit of Cross-Dressing.In Twelfth Night Shakespeare has Cupid, the god of love working overtime and uses intrigue and disguise (girls dressed as boys). Dressing up and masking was very popular in this age because it allowed flirting with anonymity.The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola having been swept ashore disguises herself as a man (Cesario) and finds work in the household of Duke Orsino. She quickly becomes favoured as a page but falls in love with Orsino a bit difficult as he thinks shes a man. But the Duke is enraptured with Olivia and when Cesario is sent to her as a messenger Olivia herself falls for Cesario also believing her to be a man.The love triangle is complete: Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia and Olivia loves Cesario but everyone is miserable.Things get more complicated when moronic Sir Andrew Aguecheek and a self-important servant, Malvolio get caught up in the schemes of Sir Toby Belch who leads each to believe Olivia loves him.Meanwhile Sebastian whom Viola believed had perished arrives and many comic situations of mistaken identity ensue. Shakespeare ensured this play was sublimely farcical.