![Twelth-Night-Production-Images_0003_Twelfth-Night-Shakespeares-Globe-c-Marc-Brenner-AUD-1704-Ciaran-OBrien-as-S-aspect-ratio-2000-800 A group of people on the stage looking in the same direction](https://images.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/2024/07/Twelth-Night-Production-Images_0003_Twelfth-Night-Shakespeares-Globe-c-Marc-Brenner-AUD-1704-Ciaran-OBrien-as-S-aspect-ratio-2000-800.png?resize=1990%2C796&gravity)
Twelfth Night
PLOT SUMMARY
Written in around 1601–1602, Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s best-known comedies.
A shipwreck strands Viola on the coast of Illyria. She believes her twin brother Sebastian to have drowned. With no-one else to turn to she disguises herself as a man – taking the name ‘Cesario’ – and enters the household of Duke Orsino, whom she rapidly falls in love with. However, Orsino has fallen in love with the Countess Olivia, who is deep in mourning for her brother. Olivia refuses to be wooed by Orsino as she is in her mourning period. Orsino dispatches ‘Cesario’ in his place, to woo Olivia on his behalf. Olivia falls for ‘Cesario’ instead.
Meanwhile, Olivia’s steward Malvolio has made some enemies within her court due to his arrogance and sour self-importance. Sir Toby Belch (Olivia’s drunken uncle), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Toby’s friend), and servant Maria, decide to trick Malvolio. They make him believe that Olivia secretly loves him. Not only that, but that she wants to see him smiling and wearing cross-gartered yellow stockings. Malvolio dutifully starts grinning and dresses accordingly – Olivia believes him to be mad as he looks so ridiculous. The conspirators lock him up, and enlist the fool – Feste – to mock Malvolio further.
Elsewhere in Illyria, Sebastian (Viola’s twin brother) is revealed to be alive and well. He has been rescued by a sea captain called Antonio, whose love for Sebastian leads him to accompany him to Illyria despite Orsino wanting to kill Antonio on account of past conflict between them.
Olivia bumps into Sebastian and mistakes him for ‘Cesario’. She asks him to marry her and Sebastian accepts. They are quickly married. This leads to immense confusion as ‘Cesario’ meets Olivia separately, and Sebastian runs into Orsino. Eventually, Viola reveals her identity and is reunited with Sebastian. Duke Orsino vows to marry Viola, Malvolio is released, and Sir Toby marries Maria.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
PAST PRODUCTIONS
![Twelfth Night Globe GALA-3240](https://images.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/2023/12/Twelfth-Night-Globe-GALA-3240-scaled.jpg?resize=16%2C10&gravity)
In 2023 we staged Twelfth Night: For One Night Only, an all-star one-off production in honour of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio.
Discover More2002 – Mark Rylance starred as Olivia for the first time at the Middle Temple Hall, and then brought Twelfth Night to the Globe alongside director Tim Carroll. In 2003 the cast went on tour in the USA. In 2012, Mark Rylance revived the role of Olivia at the Globe. The production transferred to Broadway in 2013, winning two Tony awards (and nominated for five more)
2017 – Emma Rice’s take on Twelfth Night was a glittering modern-dress spectacle
2019 – Shakespeare’s Globe’s Touring Ensemble performed the comedy at the Globe
2021 – Director Sean Holmes’ Americana-infused version of the play starred Michelle Terry
2023 – ‘For One Night Only’, a special one-off performance
2023 – CBeebies Twelfth Night at Shakespeare’s Globe (available on iPlayer)
WATCH ON GLOBE PLAYER
![Twelfth Night 2012 Stephen Fry Mark Rylance Shakespeare's Globe A man wearing yellow cross-gartered stockings leers at a man in white painted Elizabethan makeup.](https://images.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/2020/11/Twelfth-Night-2012-Stephen-Fry-Mark-Rylance-Shakespeares-Globe.jpg?resize=16%2C10&gravity)
Twelfth Night (2012)
Filled with a cast of unforgettable characters, Twelfth Night combines cruelty with high comedy and the pangs of unrequited love. Catch Mark Rylance as Olivia and Stephen Fry as Malvolio in this award-winning production.
![2017 Twelfth Night Hugo Glendinning Website](https://images.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/2022/06/2017-Twelfth-Night-Hugo-Glendinning-Website.jpg?resize=16%2C10&gravity)
Twelfth Night (2017)
When twins Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria, disguise, hijinks and bittersweet hilarity ensue. This irreverent production of Shakespeare’s soulful and irrepressible comedy was directed by Emma Rice.
![Twelfth Night Production Image A group of people on the stage looking in the same direction](https://images.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/2021/08/Twelth-Night-Production-Images_0003_Twelfth-Night-Shakespeares-Globe-c-Marc-Brenner-AUD-1704-Ciaran-OBrien-as-S.png?resize=16%2C10&gravity)
Twelfth Night (2021)
Wild, surprising and funny, this production of Twelfth Night (directed by Globe Associate Artistic Director Sean Holmes) is infused with the mesmeric nostalgia and the soulful music of the world of Americana.
UPCOMING EVENTS
While we don’t currently have any Twelfth Night events scheduled, you may enjoy these events linked to other Shakespearian shipwrecks and comedies…
![Stylised cartoon image of two pairs of twins playing. Overlaid text reads "The Comedy of Errors Family Storytelling"](https://images.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/2024/07/TCOE_Storytelling_SocialWebsiteEmail_Winter24-25_V2_1600-x-1000_1.jpg?resize=960%2C600&gravity)
![](https://images.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/2023/11/Globe_TheTempest_Storytelling_SocialWebsite2.jpg?resize=960%2C600&gravity)
![Daniel Adeosun as Antipholus of Syracuse in the 2024 production of The Comedy of Errors overlaid with white text that reads THE COMEDY OF ERRORS.](https://images.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/2024/01/COE_postpress_SocialWebsite_V1_1600-x-1000_.jpg?resize=960%2C600&gravity)
SHOP THE RANGE
![born-great-t-shirt Image of a model wearing a tshirt saying](https://images.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/2024/07/born-great-t-shirt.webp?resize=16%2C10&gravity)
TWELFTH NIGHT BLOGS
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