I, Malvolio

In Sydney Festival’s I,Malvolio, Tim Crouch gives an hypnotically powerful performance.

Crouch is a major UK theatre artist, based in Brighton, who possesses a tremendous vocal range. After working as an actor, Crouch started to producing theatre in 2003. I,Malvolio is the fourth show based on Shakespearean characters he has developed.

In a bravura performance, Crouch retells the rather complicated plot of Twelfth Night from Malvolio’s point of view, including the embarrassing revelation of his secret love for Lady Olivia. He is not mad, rather he has been tricked and tormented. Its dark humour is mocking, sarcastic and confronting. We, the audience, are chivvied and abused as if by a sergeant major. We become complicit in the tricking and abuse of Malvolio.We ask ourselves: are we as bad as Sir Toby Belch, Maria, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and the others? Malvolio’s position is presented sympathetically, and we feel for the assaulted dignity of the vengeful steward.

In a peevish rant, Malvolio criticizes the state of the modern world, as well as the ghastly Illyrian nobles who try him.The wickedness of society – and the raison d’etre of theatre-  is questioned. What is reality? What is illusion? Where actually are we? The language is a mix of Shakespearean and contemporary discourses, intensifying at times of Malvolio’s anger. Sometimes Crouch dazzles with words and the speed of his lines leaves us eager to catch up and process what he is saying.

The show is dynamic. Repeated refrains are juxtaposed with a funny sight gag about leopard-print underpants. There is audience participation (helping Malvolio with his shoes and socks, for instance, reading what he has pinned to his back – and also a Beckett-like near- suicide). Time is fluid, in some ways going backwards. For most of the show Malvolio wears torn, stained and dirty long-johns with a turkey neck (complete with spider!) strapped under his chin, a strange tree-like goat horn helmet and the famous ‘cross gartered’ yellow stockings. By the end of the show, Malvolio has regained his dignity and control and is in elegant black full-court regalia, in white face with a small penciled moustache, black shoes and wig.

Throughout the play, Malvolio reiterates that he will have his revenge on the pack of us – the audience – and he does so magnificently.

Running time – just over an hour (approx) no interval

Rating: 4 and ½ stars out of five.