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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 JUNE 2023 5 THEATRE MADC to stage Twelfth Night, or What You Will as its summer Shakespeare MADC's annual open-air Shakespeare play at San Anton Gardens features a top cast directed by Chris Gatt and Pia Zammit BOOKING is now open for MADC's next 'Shakespeare in the Gardens' this summer. Continuing its long-held an- nual tradition of staging an open-air Shakespeare play at San Anton Gardens, Attard, MADC will stage Twelfth Night, or What You Will from 14-23 July. Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a fast-paced romantic comedy full of mistaken identi- ties and practical jokes. The sto- ry follows Viola and Sebastian, twins separated in a shipwreck. Viola disguises herself as a boy, names herself Cesario, and be- comes a servant to the Duke Orsino. The Duke sends her to woo the Countess Olivia on his be- half, but the Countess falls for Cesario, creating a love trian- gle: Viola loves Duke Orsino, Duke Orsino loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Viola disguised as Cesario. When Sebastian finally shows up, the stage is set for even more confusion, chaos and comedy! Believed to have been penned by the Bard as a Twelfth Night entertainment to close the Christmas season, 2023 also marks 400 years since Twelfth Night, or What You Will was first published in the 1623 First Folio. "We are proud to stage Twelfth Night, or What You Will as the latest in our dec- ades-long tradition of produc- ing an open-air Shakespeare – exactly four centuries after the play's first publication," says MADC's artistic director Marylu Coppini. "To celebrate such a momentous anniversary, we have an all-star cast direct- ed by fellow Shakespeare and comedy stalwarts Chris Gatt and Pia Zammit. This promises to be a summer production to remember!" Leading the cast of MADC's Twelfth Night, or What You Will is Tina Rizzo as Viola, Ste- ffi Thake as Olivia, Pia Zammit as Toby Belch and Stephen Ol- iver as Malvolio, alongside oth- er top performers Francesco Nicodeme, Raphael Pace, Craig Abela, Kim Dalli, David Muscat, Nicholas Gambin, Katrina Lupi and Kim Woods. While Gatt and Zammit direct, costume design is by Noah Fabri and choreography is by Francesco Nicodeme. Book tickets today at www. madc.com.mt. But hurry – an Early Bird Offer that reduces the full ticket price of €30/€25 to just €27/€22 is available for a very limited time only! MADC's Twelfth Night, or What You Will will show at San Anton Gardens, Attard, on 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19, 20, 21 22, 23 July 2023, with all performances starting at 8.30pm. Tickets and further information are availa- ble at www.madc.com.mt. Left to right: Stephen Oliver, Craig Abela, Pia Zammit, Kim Dalli, Francesco Nicodeme, (photo Justin Mamo) Steffi Thake and Tina Rizzo (photo Justin Mamo)