Orange Tree Theatre's latest production William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, opens this Saturday, 23 November and is directed by OT's very own Artistic Director, Tom Littler. 

Recent Guildhall School of Music and Drama graduate, Tyler-Jo Richardson, will make his professional stage debut as Sebastian (again) at the OT in a 1940s re-imagination of Shakespeare's heartrending, and hilarious play of mistaken identities and secret desires. 

Speaking to Richmond Nub News ahead of opening night, Richardson says: "I was really excited about it because at drama school I'd been in Twelfth Night and played the part of Sebastian." 

Although the budding actor had featured in Twelfth Night before, he admits that Littler and the rest of the OT team had drawn him in once again to the Shakespeare play. 

"I could just tell that they were excited to put a different spin on it," says Richardson.

"Also the material just felt like it was going to be exciting, it was going to be brought to a more modern time.

"I know there's a lot of themes of fluidity and stuff that speak to the time period we're in now." 

Another way in which Littler and OT are going to tell this Shakespeare classic is through music and the backdrop of a post WWII society. 

Richardson says: "It's got lots of music from the time period and it weaves through the scenes and joins the scenes together and that is another lovely element to it that I hadn't thought of before. 

"And it brings a lot of that time period and kind of, after this period of mourning and loss, this upbeat energy that people would have needed during that time which is nice." 

Aside from it being a Shakespeare classic, Twelfth Night at the OT brings a star-studded cast from Oliver Ford Davies, returning as Malvolio, Jane Asher as Maria and Patricia Allison from Sex Education as Viola. 

Twelfth Night at the OT opens on Saturday, 23 November (credit: Ellie Kurttz).

However, Richardson admits being able to collaborate and watch the more experienced actors up close has not felt as "scary" as it may appear from the outside. 

"I feel like as an actor, you always have moments of doubt or a bit of a fear," he explains.

"But this company and our director have made it like we're playing with each other and playing with the material. 

"It's not felt scary. It's felt really exciting and fun." 

To some, Shakespeare may appear boring or too "dense" as Richardson calls it, but he feels that Twelfth Night is perfect for those who have never seen the playwright's work before. 

Richardson continues: "I would say that it's a show that people can bring family to. 

"I think it's a good one if you've not experienced Shakespeare before because it's quite easy to get your head around and it has so many different bits for everyone. 

"All audiences can get something from it, if I'm honest. It balances all the themes pretty well." 

The actor adds: "It was one of the first Shakespeare's I encountered, and it's one of the ones that I always go back to because that first time I saw it really stuck with me. 

"So, I hope that we can give that to other people who haven't experienced Shakespeare before." 

To find out more about Twelfth Night showing at the Orange Tree Theatre until 25 January 2025, click here. 

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