2025: Twelfth Night, Or, What You Will
With cross-dressing nobles in a love triangle of mistaken identities, while their guests party and sing all night and their servants plot practical jokes, Twelfth Night, Or, What You Will is one of Shakespeare's most delightful comedies. Beginning with the famous line "If music be the food of love, play on," Twelfth Night is full of songs and music of Shakespeare's era, which our Fairy Band and RenFriends Singers performed live on period instruments.
Twelfth Night's 39 volunteer performers & crew, and 600+ audience members' donations, raised an amazing $11,000 donation for the Bev Shaw Literacy Fund of the Sunshine Coast Foundation. This fund gave a grant to the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts, to bring professional authors as Writers in Residence in schools on the Coast. So our shows will help to grow new potential Shakespeares! Next year we will present As You Like It. Stay tuned!
Read all about us in the Coast Reporter!
Performance Photos and Videos
Slideshow shown at the Cheque Ceremony (by Michael Gurney)
Highlights Video Reel (clips from JoAnne Bennison)
Twelfth Night 2025 PERFORMANCES:
July 4, 5, 10, & 11 @ 7 pm; July 6 & 12 @ 2 pm
At the Rockwood Pavilion, 5511 Shorncliffe Ave, Sechelt, BC.
Reviews!
"We really enjoyed seeing Twelfth Night this afternoon with my mother and husband. I haven’t had the chance to see live Shakespeare in years. The whole production was great: music, costumes and of course the acting which was comic and clever and so well delivered it was easy to understand even the fool’s puns...Well done!" - Lynn McWilliam
"This is a fantastic production! 👏Kudos to Lise Kreps and Michael Gurney (Directors), the actors, musicians, costume designer - catch the show while you can 🎭👏👏👏 - Elizabeth Byrne
""Everybody was fantastic. Please come out and support this very talented group of actors. It’s a very funny play, one of my favourites." - Serena Trinder
"I saw your production of Twelfth Night last night, a wonderful presentation, beautiful music, the costumes, the acting, a thoroughly engaging evening. Congratulations on a job well done." - Paul MacKeigan
"Congratulations on another fantastic show!" - Melinda Oliver
"A riotous comedy!! Brilliant costumes, brilliant music, brilliant performances!!!" - Ingrid Bilton
"Twelfth Night was a charming production, and we had a lot of fun with it on Friday night. Ease, form, beauty and a sense of the whole ... Feste's voice was so ease-ful that we were called to listen with our souls. Her movement was seamless and her spirit full of joy. Viola was terrific. Maria sparkled on stage. Malvolio confronted the narcissism/victimhood of his character - great choice. Sebastian's "this is the air, that is the glorious sun" monologue was alive and expansive. Olivia grew as the play unfolded... and on and on. Every character offered something to be intrigued by. Huge congratulations! Directors, actors, the Fairy Band musicians, gorgeous costume creation.. .and all of the energy that made this such an entertaining, elegant production. We had a great time. Huge CHEERS to everyone. Your initiative and dedication to bringing Shakespearean theatre to the Sunshine Coast is appreciated - and it's growing." - Sally Williams
"Just a short note to say how much I enjoyed Friday evening’s performance. It was a reminder of how much talent we have here on the Coast – actors, musicians, directors, costume design, etc. The whole team deserves a standing ovation! It was lovely to see so many people attending that evening. It’s especially nice knowing the proceeds will increase the impact of Bev’s fund. Please extend a ‘Bravo’ to the whole cast and crew. Thanks for creating this beautiful occasion to gather, while supporting our literacy and literary community through these performances." - Erin Storey, Executive Director, Sunshine Coast Foundation
"The Coast Shakespeare presentation of Twelfth Night at the Rockwood Pavilion in Sechelt is absolutely fantastic! You must go see it!" - Sara Douglas
"Really enjoyed the show last night. Superb performances, fantastic music, and great fun throughout. You’re setting a very high standard for yourselves. We’re all waiting eagerly for next year already!" - Anthony Pare
Twelfth Night Cast
In order of appearance:
ORSINO, Duke of Illyria, in love with Olivia - Mary Beth Pongrac
CURIO, Gentleman attending on the Duke - Alta O'Farrell
VALENTINE, Gentleman attending on the Duke - Willow Rody
VIOLA, a shipwrecked girl mostly disguised as a “Cesareo,” a young man - Tara Blasco
SEA CAPTAIN, friend to Viola - Mac Dodge
SIR TOBY BELCH, Olivia's wastrel uncle - Derry Oshust
SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK, Sir Toby's foolish friend - Larry Musser
MARIA, Olivia's Lady in Waiting - Angela Cruikshank
FESTE the Fool, Olivia's jester - Elisabeth Lyle
OLIVIA, a rich Countess - Melissah Charboneau
ANTONIO, a Sea Captain, friend to Sebastian - Ruthy Boehm
SEBASTIAN, a young Gentleman, twin brother to Viola - Peter Gray
MALVOLIO, Olivia's conceited butler (steward) - Ean Henninger
FABIAN, Olivia's servant - Lisa Horne
FIRST OFFICER - Alta O'Farrell
SECOND OFFICER - Sean Steele
PRIEST - Willow Rody
Twelfth Night Directors, Designers, Crew and Musicians
Michael Gurney - Director, Lighting Designer, Producer
Lise Kreps - Director, Music Director, Dramaturge, Producer
Marisa Alps - Producer
Bill Forst - Producer for Driftwood Players
Jenny Marguaratt - Stage Manager
Sarah Kushner - Stage Crew
Sara Margueratt - Stage Crew
Robyn Faucher - Costume Designer
Anne Beesack - Costume Assistant
Cedar Neufeld - Costume Assistant
Willow Rody - Costume Assistant
Lilja Swift - Costume Assistant
Linda McTurk - Costume Consultant
Evelyn Schimmel - Makeup and Hair Designer
Ingrid Bilton - Makeup Assistant
Gabriel Ditmars - Dance & Fight Choreographer
Pat Dalgleish - Front of House Manager
The Fairy Band of Musicians:
Karen Baxter - violas da gamba
Albano Berberi - nyckelharpa, keyboard
Maureen Drake - tenor viola da gamba
Lise Kreps - recorders, flute, bass viola da gamba, voice
Heidi Kurtz - harp, flute
Joya Muma - lute, violas da gamba
Juliet O'Keefe - percussion, harp, voice
Corinna Savien - recorder, percussion, voice
The RenFriends Renaissance Consort - voices
Selected Resources for Twelfth Night
Why yellow stockings for Malvolio?
The holiday of Twelfth Night fell at the end of the twelve days of Christmas, on Epiphany. It was celebrated with lively feasting, drinking, cake, merrymaking, plays, and a mock "lord of misrule" or "king for a day."
Twelfth Night Music (all from Shakespeare's time)
Youtube playlist. Click the links below for lyrics, music scores, and translations.
Sing We and Chant It - Morley
Where Griping Grief - Edwards
O Mistresse Mine - Morley
Hold Thy Peace - Ravenscroft
Farewell Dear Heart (parody) - Jones
Pass e Medio - Susato **This is a passamezzo antico bass line for a slow pavane dance - or, as Sir Toby grumbles, a "passymeasures pavin." This chord progression and bass line were used for many other tune variations, including Greensleeves, Childgrove, Tourdion, Bransle de la Torche, Red House, and even some modern pop songs.
Come Away Death (tune: Fortune My Foe)
Bransle de la Torche - Praetorius
Ah Robyn - Cornish
Galliard Le Tout - Susato