Twelfth Night, or What You Will
cutting and notes by John Minigan from the original by Shakespeare
A one act annotated version of Shakespeare's comedy filled with unrequited love, disguises, and a shipwreck.
About 45 minutes
Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks
15
6 M | 3 W | 6 Any Gender, Doubling Possible
Simple Set
33 pages
After a shipwreck, Viola finds herself stranded on the shores of Ilyria, disguised as a boy, and falling in love with her boss. And that's just the beginning! Love, comedy, and confusion abound in Twelfth Night.
Characters
15
6 Men, 3 Women, 6 Any Gender, Doubling Possible
Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.
-
ORSINO
[M]
21 lines
- Duke of Illyria.
-
SEBASTIAN
[M]
14 lines
- A young man from Messaline. Viola's twin brother.
-
SIR TOBY BELCH
[M]
39 lines
- Olivia's uncle. He loves parties and is often drunk.
-
SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK
[M]
20 lines
- Sir Toby's friend. A knight. He is not very bright and not as appreciated by Sir Toby as he thinks he is.
-
MALVOLIO
[M]
27 lines
- Olivia's overly stern butler. He is secretly in love with Olivia.
-
VIOLA (pronounced VY-oh-lah)
[W]
24 lines
- A young woman from Messaline. Sebastian's twin sister. Later disguised as Cesario, a boy.
-
OLIVIA
[W]
40 lines
- A Countess. As the play begins, she is in mourning for the death of her brother.
-
MARIA (pronounced Ma-RY-ah)
[W]
11 lines
- Olivia's chambermaid, secretly attracted to Sir Toby.
-
FESTE
[A]
18 lines
- An entertainer. The fool.
-
FABIAN
[A]
6 lines
- Servant to Olivia. Friend of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew.
-
ANTONIO/ANTONIA
[A]
8 lines
- A pirate-like sailor. Friend of Sebastian.
-
CAPTAIN
[A]
6 lines
- The Captain of the ship Viola and Sebastian were on.
-
VALENTINE/VALENTINA
[A]
1 line
- Servant to Duke Orsino.
-
CURIO/CURIA
[A]
2 lines
- Servant to Duke Orsino.
- PRIEST [M]
- Subgenres
- Romantic comedy Shakespeare
- Settings
- 16th Century / Elizabethan
- Dress
- Contemporary costumes Elaborate costumes Period costumes
- Audience
- Pre-teen Teen
- Features
- Opportunity for spectacle Physical comedy Music Stage combat
- Set
- Simple set
- Themes
- Love Parenting/Family Relationships Self-image
- Cross-Curricular Uses
- Shakespeare
- Other uses
- Competition Monologues Audition material Class work Scene work
Prop List
Drum, Swords, Hat covering long hair, Letter
Related Titles
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Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.
Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
cutting and notes by John Minigan from the original by Shakespeare
About 45 minutes
Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks
15
6 M | 3 W | 6 Any Gender, Doubling Possible
Simple Set
33 pages