Twelve Minute Night

What Stoppard did to Hamlet, we've done for Twelfth Night

To order scripts ISBN 1-873855-08-7Cast ListScenesExtract


Introduction

This sketch was conceived during the Alton Arts production of the full play in 1984, and first performed by Headley Theatre Club in November 1988.

Running time can be almost exactly twelve minutes - if you cheat!

Participants: Male 5, Female 3 – but does it matter?

© John Owen Smith 1984


Cast List . . .

Orsino, Duke of Illyria
Curio/Malvolio, steward type
Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's kinsman
Maria, Olivia's waiting gentlewoman
Sir Andrew Aguecheek, companion to Sir Toby
Viola/Cesario/Sebastian, twins of each gender
Feste/Fabian/Prologue, jester member of Olivia's houshold
Olivia, a Countess


List of Scenes . . .

The Prologue
Scene 1 - The Duke's Palace
Scene 2 - Olivia's House, late one night
Scene 3 - The Duke's Palace
Scene 4 - Olivia's House
Scene 5 - Olivia's House again
Scene 6 - Still Olivia's House
Scene 7 - Olivia's Garden
Scene 8 - Back in Olivia's House
The Encore


Extract from The Prologue

(Enter Prologue)
Prologue
If music be the food of love, play on;
I would be loath to cast away my speech.
I smell a device, indeed a horse of that colour.
Some are born great, some achieve greatness,
and some have greatness thrust upon them.
I will be strange. I'll eat the rest of his anatomy.
Are all the people mad?
My thoughts are ripe in mischief,
and the rain it raineth every day.
(Bows & exits)


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