Twelfth Night (TV 1980)

Viola and Sebastian are lookalike twins, separated by a shipwreck. Viola lands in Illyria, where she disguises herself like her brother and goes into the service of the Duke Orsino. Orsino ... See full summary »

Director:

John Gorrie

Writer:

William Shakespeare (play)

Stars:

Alec McCowen, Robert Hardy, Felicity Kendal

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec McCowen	...	Malvolio
Robert Hardy	...	Sir Toby Belch
Felicity Kendal	...	Viola
Annette Crosbie	...	Maria
Sinéad Cusack	...	Olivia
Trevor Peacock	...	Feste
Clive Arrindell	...	Orsino
Ronnie Stevens	...	Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Robert Lindsay	...	Fabian
Maurice Roëves	...	Antonio
Michael Thomas	...	Sebastian
Malcolm Reynold	...	Valentine
Ryan Michael	...	Curio
Richardson Morgan	...	Sea Captain (as Ric Morgan)
Arthur Hewlett	...	Priest

Storyline

Viola and Sebastian are lookalike twins, separated by a shipwreck. Viola lands in Illyria, where she disguises herself like her brother and goes into the service of the Duke Orsino. Orsino sends her to help him woo the Lady Olivia, who doesn't want the Duke, but finds that she likes the new messenger the Duke's sending. Then, of course, Viola's brother shows up, and merry hell breaks loose. Meanwhile, Olivia's uncle and his cohorts are trying to find some way to get back at Olivia's officious majordomo, Malvolio.

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Plot Keywords:

shakespeare's twelfth night | based on play | number in title

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 January 1980 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare: Twelfth Night

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

As Feste (the fool, the clown) is singing in the final scene, he walks up the "stone" garden steps and they echo loudly, clearly revealing that they are wooden props.

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Connections

Version of Trettondagsafton (1999)

User Reviews

So impressive I named a daughter after Felicity Kendal...

I've seen quite a bit of Shakespeare in my lifetime, but not as finely done as this one.

The definitive actress in this was Felicity Kendal... She played the twins parts elegantly and was incredible in her interpretation and presentation.

When I saw this, I promised myself I'd remember the name... It stuck with me... 7 years after this showing, I married... 10 years after viewing, the second "Felicity Kendal" was created and named...

If you haven't guessed, it's worth seeing. If anyone happens upon a tape of this or any other Felicity Kendal shows, feel free to contact me.