Director's Notes

There is a delight that Shakespeare's comedies bring to an audience that is still unmatched in the world of theatre. His comedic works, such as Twelfth Night, are filled with witty wordplay, clever plot twists, mistaken identities, and heartbroken lovers. On the one hand, Shakespeare's comedies allow us to escape the troubles of the world. On the other, despite being over 400 years old, they are a clever exploration of our lives.

They capture the human experience in all its complexity. 

Here, among the chaos and revelry, Shakespeare primarily examines gender identity and love. The character of Viola, who disguises herself as a man to navigate a male-dominated society, speaks to our ongoing struggles for gender equality. And as Orsino finds himself loving male Cesario, (or is it female Viola?), we are reminded that ‘love is love’. 

There is also a delight in recontextualising a Shakespearean text. While we remain faithful here to the poetic language and events of the play, we move away from the isle of Illyria circa 1600, washing ashore somewhat closer to a retro Palm Springs. With Christina Logan-Bell’s set design and our ‘from Bossa to Blur via Disco’ soundtrack, we hope to have made the story more joyously comprehensible… and fun!

I congratulate the cast and crew. They have worked tirelessly with energy and passion since February, giving up weekends to learn how to stage-fight and fall tragically in love with someone dressed as ‘what’s-their-name’ because of the prank set up by ‘who’samajig’. 

It has been a privilege working with such a talented group of young people. They are great ambassadors for Ivanhoe Girls’ and for their peers.

In particular, I acknowledge the Year 12s who we farewell this year. They are advocates for The Arts and leaders within their community. We wish them all the best for their futures and encourage them to continue their inspiring involvement in theatre.

We owe our gratitude to the Production Team for their generosity and commitment to the process. The success of the show is due to the collaboration with Chris Cox, Emma Kiely, Ally Ritchie and Mietta Kerger (Class of 2022). These people, have worked tirelessly to bring this story to life. We could not have told the story without them.

Ms Catherine Ohlsen
Drama Coordinator

Student's Perspective

This year, the Twelfth Night cast have been busy at rehearsals practicing dances, writing music, translating Shakespearean verse, and blocking one of Shakespeare's most confusing love stories. This play is one where you truly must embrace the awkwardness of acting and put yourself out there, though with such a supportive cast it is always a hilarious and enjoyable rehearsal.

Performing Arts will be one of the things I miss most about school when I graduate. For myself and many others at Ivanhoe Girls’, the School Production is the highlight of the year. 

More than just a chance to get involved in drama and learn theatre skills, it has always been a place where people of all year levels become great friends.

Performing Arts has left me with some of my best memories of Sunday rehearsals with chips at break time, trying on costumes with friends and laughing as we all trip over our own feet trying to learn dances. As I look back at the year, I realise how much we have all grown in confidence and skills from just one production. After so much hard work and so many years, it is a pleasure to end my years of school theatre with Twelfth Night and its amazing cast.

Tayla
2023 Captain of Drama