REVIEW: TWELFTH NIGHT @ MOTHECOMBE HOUSE & GARDENS

🎭 Twelfth Night

📍 Mothecombe House & Gardens, Mothecombe, Devon, PL8 1LB

🗓 Thursday 29th August 2025

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BE NOT AFRAID OF THE RAIN!

If music be the food of love, then the appetite is auspiciously whetted by this production of TWELFTH NIGHT from the WIld Will Theatre Company, presented in the grounds of Mothecombe House & Gardens. The audience follow the story around the gardens as we change location frequently, trailing the action.

Wild Will Theatre Company are now in their third year and I can say with absolute confidence that they are without question the best amateur theatre group that I have ever seen perform. The calibre of acting and production is absolutely phenomenal.

What I loved about the way that this production was presented is the clever way the story moved around the gardens. This in no way felt like a gimmick, but rather a natural progression through the story. The breaks between the scenes as we moved from place to place took nothing away from the storytelling at all. In fact they created a sense of intrigue and wonder, especially as the natural light gradually and poetically disappeared.

There was little to no set because it really wasn't needed. The natural beauty of the surroundings more than sufficed and were the perfect setting and only enhanced the purity of the text. What this also meant is that the staging area of a scene could be very small and intimate, or stretch to a whopping 50 metres!

There were comically clever additions to the script which did not feel out of place and were quite subtle. The quip from Sir Toby to Sebastian about being out in the sun was hilarious, and felt absolutely right for the character.

Tim Waine absolutely stole the show as Sir Toby. His comic timing was impeccable and his ability to engage the audience and bring us right into the story was incredible. Other standout performances came from Simon Edwards who brilliantly depicted Malvolio, winning everyone over with his gargantuan monologue which received rapturous applause, and Rob Melvin who was suave and libidinous as Duke Orsino.

Edie Grower really lived her role and acted with utter believability, whilst Maia Phippen gave great duel meaning to her dramatic mourning as Lady Olivia. On one hand she is feeling genuine sorrow, whilst on the other she is shielding herself from unwanted admirers.

It is impossible to name check every member of the cast, but each of them played their part with gusto and plausibility. There was not one weak link here. I was astounded how the rain did not dampen their performances and even when it was extremely heavy, they did not faulter.

It's no mean feat to put on a production such as this and the technical team have been outstanding. A special mention must go to Technical Director & Lighting Designer Andrew Hollett who is obviously a master of his craft, and his sound and lighting teams who kept everything running against the odds. Rob Heyland's direction felt natural and laid back, giving a wonderful relaxed tone to the entire piece.

TWELFTH NIGHT has now concluded its run, but WIld Will are back next week with their production of the Jez Butterworth play JERUSALEM, running at Mothecombe House & Gardens from Wednesday 3rd - Saturday 6th September. Click here to book tickets and to find out more about this sensational theatre company.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Twelfth Night was gifted by Wild Will Theatre Company who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST (in alphabetical order):

Rob Currall as Antonio; Simon Edwards as Malvolio; Chris Field as Guard 1; Mandy Field as Guard 2; Dan Godfrey as Fabian; Edie Grower as Viola / Cesario; Steve Jenner as Fool; Frank Kelsall as Valentine; Rob Melvin as Duke Orsino; Pranav Mittapalli as Sebastian; Maia Phippen as Lady Olivia; Howie Quinlivan as Sea Captain; Angie Tall as Maria; Bill Thom as Sir Andrew Aguecheek; Tim Waine as SIr Toby Belch;

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 40 minutes, including interval