Twelfth Night or What You Will (1996)

Director:

Trevor Nunn

Writers:

William Shakespeare (by)
Trevor Nunn (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Before Priscilla crossed the desert, Wong Foo met Julie Newmar, and the Birdcage was unlocked, there was...

Plot:

Shakespeare's comedy of gender confusion, in which a girl disguises herself as a man to be near the count she adores, only to be pursued by the woman he loves.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Disguise | Mourning | Servant | Fool

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Imogen Stubbs	...	Viola
Steven Mackintosh	...	Sebastian
Nicholas Farrell	...	Antonio
Sidney Livingstone	...	Captain (as Sid Livingstone)
Ben Kingsley	...	Feste
James Walker	...	Priest
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Olivia
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Malvolio
Mel Smith	...	Sir Toby Belch
Imelda Staunton	...	Maria
Toby Stephens	...	Orsino
Alan Mitchell	...	Valentine
Peter Gunn	...	Fabian
Richard E. Grant	...	Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Tim Bentinck	...	First Officer
Rod Culbertson	...	Second Officer
Jeff Hall	...	Gardener
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Burke	...	Party Guest / Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Trevor Nunn

Writing credits
William Shakespeare		(by)
Trevor Nunn		(screenplay)

Produced by
Christopher Ball	....	executive producer: Newmarket Capital Group LP
Mark Cooper	....	line producer
Simon Curtis	....	executive producer: BBC Films
Stephen Evans	....	producer
David Garrett	....	executive producer: Summit Entertainment N.Y.
Bob Hayward	....	executive producer: Summit Entertainment N.Y.
Ileen Maisel	....	executive producer
David Parfitt	....	producer
Greg Smith	....	executive producer
William Tyrer	....	executive producer: Newmarket Capital Group LP
Ruth Vitale	....	executive producer
Patrick Wachsberger	....	executive producer: Summit Entertainment N.Y.
Jonathan Weisgal	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Shaun Davey

Cinematography by
Clive Tickner

Film Editing by
Peter Boyle

Casting by
Carl Proctor

Production Design by
Sophie Becher

Art Direction by
Ricky Eyres		(supervising art director)
David Hindle

Set Decoration by
Marianne Ford

Costume Design by
John Bright

Makeup Department
Christine Beveridge	....	hair designer
Christine Beveridge	....	hair stylist
Christine Beveridge	....	key makeup artist
Eithne Fennel	....	key hair stylist
Helen Johnson	....	makeup artist
Barbara Taylor	....	hair stylist
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou	....	hair stylist
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Johnny Bamford	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Oscar Beuselinck	....	second assistant director: second unit
William Booker	....	assistant director
Emma Griffiths	....	assistant director
Emma Pounds	....	assistant director
Guy Travers	....	assistant director

Art Department
Lee Betis	....	painter (as Lee Betts)
Bobby Betts	....	stand-by painter
Mark Brady	....	stand-by carpenter
Anthony Caccavale	....	painter
Julia Castle	....	art department assistant
David Cheesman	....	dressing props (as Dave Cheesman)
Martin Freeman	....	carpenter
John Greaves	....	storyboard artist
Rebecca Holmes	....	assistant art director
Jonathan Hurst	....	chargehand stand-by prop
Martin Kingsley	....	property master
Colin Lovering	....	scenic painter
Anthony McGee	....	carpenter
John McGee	....	carpenter
Daniel O'Regan	....	carpenter
John O'Regan	....	carpenter
Keith Pitt	....	dressing props
Steven Sallybanks	....	scenic artist (as Steve Sallybanks)
Anabel Yorke	....	assistant to set decorator

Sound Department
Paul Cridlin	....	boom operator
David Crozier	....	production sound mixer
David Crozier	....	sound editor
Diane Greaves	....	foley artist
Joe Illing	....	foley editor
Dominic Lester	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mick Monks	....	assistant sound editor
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alan Paley	....	foley editor
Bob Risk	....	supervising sound editor
Jack Stew	....	foley artist
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
James Davis III	....	special effects senior technician
Jeremy Lovett	....	special effects technician
Stefano Pepin	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Courtney Vanderslice	....	head of production: Cinesite
Aviv Yaron	....	Compositor: Cinesite

Stunts
Sarah Franzl	....	stunts
Nick Gillard	....	stunt coordinator
Derek Lee	....	stunts
Lee Sheward	....	stunts
Sarah Franzl	....	stunt double: Imogen Stubbs (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Kenneth Atherfold	....	grip (as Kenny Atherford)
Alex Bailey	....	still photographer
Chris Bain	....	camera trainee
Buddy Blackwell	....	video assist operator
Roy Branch	....	best boy
Paul Brinkworth	....	grip
Dave Cook	....	electrician
Dave Cook	....	genny op
Steve Costello	....	gaffer
Paul Cronin	....	electrician
Wendy Dixon	....	assistant still photographer
Jeremy Hiles	....	camera operator
Philip Kenyon	....	grip (as Phil Kenyon)
Nigel Kirton	....	Steadicam operator
Mick Lay	....	electrician
Rod Marley	....	clapper loader
Pat Miller	....	gaffer: effects unit
Dave Moore	....	best boy
Jason Olive	....	second assistant camera
Steve Roberts	....	electrician
Peter Robertson	....	Steadicam operator
Jonathan Sykes	....	first assistant camera
Dean Thompson	....	second assistant camera
Steve Tickner	....	camera operator: second unit
Mike Valentine	....	underwater camera operator
Peter Versey	....	camera operator
Peter Versey	....	camera operator: second unit
George Vince	....	electrician
Tim Wooster	....	camera operator
Jason Wrenn	....	focus puller (as Jason Wren)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maurizio Basile	....	costume assistant
Joe Hobbs	....	wardrobe master
Yvonne Hobbs	....	wardrobe mistress
Sue Honeybourne	....	assistant costume designer
Marcus Love-McGuirk	....	costumer
Berverley Webb	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Tullio Brunt	....	first assistant editor
Paul Ensby	....	color timer
Mike Fraser	....	negative cutter
Liz Roe	....	second assistant editor (as Elizabeth Roe)

Music Department
Valerie Armstrong	....	vocals
Peter Beamish	....	vocals
Linda Byrne	....	piano: soloist
Sarah Byrne	....	supervising: copyist
Rita Connolly	....	vocals
Shaun Davey	....	additional orchestrator
Noel Eccles	....	featured percussion
Brian Masterson	....	music recordist
Des Moore	....	guitar: soloist
Fergus O'Carroll	....	additional orchestrator
Martin O'Connor	....	accordion: soloist
Alan Smale	....	orchestra leader
Fiachra Trench	....	conductor
Fiachra Trench	....	orchestrator
Denis Woods	....	computer programmer: music department
John Woolf	....	musical director

Transportation Department
Tony Bird	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Libbie Barr	....	script supervisor
Liz Barron	....	financial controller
Grietje Besteman	....	underwater double
Claire Chapman	....	production associate
Cleone Clarke	....	assistant to producers
Gillian Dawes	....	production coordinator
Steve Dent	....	horse coordinator
Karen Gilbert	....	production assistant
Emma Hepple	....	horse handler
Ian Hodson	....	underwater double
Stuart Hopps	....	choreographer
Jonathan Hurst	....	stand-by person
Julie Linnane	....	accounting assistant
Miara Martell	....	location manager (as Martell)
Elisabeth Penrith	....	stand-in
Nick Prideaux	....	stand-in
Malcolm Ranson	....	fight director
Margaret Teatum	....	post-production accountant
Nick Turnbull	....	stand-by person
Elaine Tyler-Hall	....	assistant choreographer
Ben Kingsley	....	narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Renaissance Films
• BBC Films (presents)
• Circus Films (presents)
• Fine Line Features (presents)
• Summit Entertainment (presents) (as Summit Entertainment N.V.)

Distributors

• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Entertainment (1996) (UK) (theatrical)
• Eurocine (1997) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Fine Line Features (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Focus Film AG (1997) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Líder Films (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Vitória Filmes (1997) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Alpha Filmes (Brazil) (video)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• S.A.D. Home Entertainment (2012) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Lightforce SFX (SFX: standby) (as Lightforce FX)
• Effects Associates (effects: supervison) (as Effects Associates Ltd)
• Cinesite (digital opticals)
• General Screen Enterprises (main title opticals)

Other Companies

• Windmill Lane Recording Studios  music recorded at
• Cosprop  costumes supplied by (as Cosprop Costumers)
• Peter Thompson Associates  unit publicist
• Special Treats Production Company  epk (as The Special Treats Production Company Ltd)
• Aeroshoot Film Services  transport management (as Aeroshoot Services Ltd)
• Cavalier Transport  construction: drivers
• West End Motors  car rental (as West End Motors Ltd)
• Samuelson Lighting  lighting equipment supplied by (as Michael Samuelson Lighting)
• Salon  editing equipment supplied by
• Shaun Webb Design  title design (as Shaun Webb Graphic Design)
• AJM Systems  consultant: computer
• Metrocolor  colour processing
• Panavision Cameras and Lenses  filmed with
• Dolby Stereo  in selected theatres (as Dolby)
• Technicolor  colour processing
• Kodak  film stock supplied by
• Twickenham Studios  re-recording at
• Anvil Studios, Denham  foley mixed at (as Anvil Denham Studios)
• Goldcrest Post Production London  tranfers at (as Goldcrest Film Production Services)
• Film Finances  completion bond guarantors
• Walton & Parkinson  production insurance by
• Globepost Travel Services  travel arranged by
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"Twelfth Night" - USA (poster title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

UK | Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Cotehele House, St Dominick, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

Renaissance Films

Trivia:

In Twelfth Night, the character of Orsino is several years older than Viola. However, at the time of the film's release, Imogen Stubbs (Viola) was 35; 8 years older than Toby Stephens (Orsino), who was 27.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During one of the final scenes, when Malvolio reenters, it can be seen that his left shoe is missing. However, as he is walking up the stairs, you can clearly hear both heels clicking on the steps.

Quotes:

Orsino:Make no compare Between that love a woman can bear me And that I owe Olivia.
Cesario:Ay, but I know...
Cesario:What dost thou know?
Cesario:Too well what love women to men may owe. In faith, they are as true of heart as we. My father had a daughter lov'd a man As it might be perhaps, were I a woman, I should your lordship.
Orsino:And what's her history?
Cesario:A blank, my lord. She never told her love, But let concealment, like a worm i' th' bud, Feed on her damask cheek. She pin'd in thought; And, with a green and yellow melancholy, She sat like Patience on a monument, Smiling at grief. Was not this love indeed? We men may say more, swear more; but indeed Our shows are more than will; for still we prove Much in our vows but little in our love.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "World's Most Extreme Homes: Dutch Windmill/Australian Creation/British Mansion (#2.3)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

O Mistress Mine

A lovely adaptation

Trevor Nunn's adaptation of Twelfth Night is exceptionally beautiful, well acted, and emotionally engaging. Ben Kingsley's performance as the Fool stands out as magnificent, but the entire ensemble comes off very well. The film nails both the joy and the darkness of Shakespeare's play - and the play, make no mistake, contains plenty of dark and strange moments when things go, as the drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch says, "Out of tune, sir." The filmmakers deserve credit for not glossing over the shades of sadism in Toby's treatment of Malvolio or the shallow fickleness of Orsino's character. The wintry Cornwall setting dovetails perfectly with the mood of the play, half sun and half shadow, and the costume design (roughly Edwardian, though I am not an expert on fashion history) creatively evokes the luxury of Orsino and Olivia's courtly world, while allowing for - even necessitating - the brilliant re-imagining of the Fool as bohemian vagabond.