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Title details for Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare - Available

Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare
Jonathan Keeble
Audiobook
1 of 4 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 4 copies available

TWELFTH NIGHT, first performed around 1600, probably at the court of Queen ELizabeth I, is the tale of separated brother and sister twins - Sebastian and Viola - and their love entanglements. It also offers the rich comic colours of Sir Toby Belch, Malvolio and Sir Andrew Aguecheek,

TWELFTH NIGHT is part of Naxos AudioBooks’ exciting new series of complete dramatisations of the works of Shakespeare, in conjunction with Cambridge University Press. It uses the New Cambridge Shakespeare text, as used by the Royal Shakespeare Company and educational institutions across the world.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 28, 2005

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9789629546953
      • File size: 64839 KB
      • Duration: 02:15:04

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 570
    • Text Difficulty: 2-3

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Shakespeare's romantic comedy is directed by Nicolas Soames. Disguised as a boy, Viola, a shipwrecked maiden, enters the service of Duke Orsino, with whom she falls in love. He, however, loves Olivia and sends Viola to woo her for him. The cast makes the play easy to follow and has fun with the complications and the comic characters, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Sir Toby Belch, the inflated Malvolio, and the sarcastic Feste. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 1, 2003
      Bruce Coville's latest adaptation of one of the Bard's masterpieces, William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, illus. by Tim Raglin, will forsooth elicit applause-and laughter-from youngsters as it transports them to ancient Illyria where not all is as it appears. With an abundance of quotations from the original play plus smooth scene transitions, the accessible narrative reveals the plot's ample comical convolutions, put into merry motion with the shipwrecked Viola's decision to disguise herself as a young man to gain entry into the court of Duke Orsino. Raglin's earth-toned, etching-like art enhances the robust humor with its caricature portraits of the players.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This recording of one of Shakespeare's beloved comedies is part of the notable Arkangel Complete Shakespeare. The action of the play is illustrated with well-placed sound effects. The clank of coins, the sound of waves, and the scuff of footsteps help to convey the movements of the characters. Niamh Cusack's pretty voice makes her an ideal Viola and a convincing Cesario. Dinsdale Landen's rowdy performance of Sir Toby Belch lives up to the character's name. Confusion may come from the Bard's rapid twists in the doubling of characters and their motives, but the actors perform each line accurately and authentically. The CD is accompanied by a leaflet outlining the action of the plot. R.F. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
    • School Library Journal

      July 1, 2000
      Gr 9 Up-William Shakespeare's comedy of disguised and deceptive love is entertainingly brought to listeners on these high-quality audiocassettes. Using the complete text from the New Cambridge Shakespeare text, the production presents a full cast of accomplished Shakespearean actors and actresses who skillfully convey the emotion and meaning, confusion and humor of this popular play. When twins Sebastian and Viola are shipwrecked and separated off the coast of Illyria, each believes the other is dead. Viola disguises herself as a boy, becomes a page of Duke Orsinio, and falls in love with him. The Duke is hopelessly in love with Olivia, but she is in the process of mourning her brother's death and becomes infatuated with Viola as she/he delivers messages for the Duke. When Sebastian shows up, Olivia confuses him with the Duke's page (Olivia) and marries the astonished young man. All is cleared up eventually when Viola and Sebatian meet and recognize each other. In the midst of all of this romantic confusion, servants and family members provide comic relief with their pompous, pretentious, and sometimes inebriated behavior. Early English music and excellent sound effects are sparingly included, yet add greatly to this performance. Reading along with the text is optional as the production moves at an easy-to-follow pace, and characterizations are clear and captivating. A booklet with background and a synopsis of the play, photos and descriptions of each cast member, and starting points for each scene on the proper tape side is a useful addition. For its entertainment value or as a supplement to the curriculum, this excellent audioplay is highly recommended.-Marilyn Higgins, Metuchen High School, NJ

      Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The songs are impressively rendered (by Stephen Sutcliffe as Feste) in this romantic comedy of twins and mistaken identity, but other aspects of this performance disappoint. The responses of the live audience give a good indication of the overall merits and drawbacks. They enjoy the low comedy of insults and slapstick but sit silent through the play's more thoughtful humor based on personality and the deceptions of disguise. The actors tend to read their lines without capturing the subtleties of personality. Lewis Gordon as Sir Toby Belch, for example, has too precise diction for this tipsy, party-loving lout. An earnest but uneven production. G.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      In this fully dramatized recording of Shakespeare's most musical play, director Clive Brill wisely designs an approach that emphasizes clarity. The complicated plot about the comic confusions resulting from ship-wrecked twins, physical and psychological disguises, and mis-matched lovers depends at times on visual humor. In spite of such built-in difficulties for audio presentation, the attentive listener can follow the permutations of the plot and its humor quite well in this production. The songs, however, consistently disappoint. They're hurried, seemingly more in an effort to get them over with than to have them add their own romantic and nostalgic flavor to the tone of the play. G.H. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:570
  • Text Difficulty:2-3

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