| What: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at Maynardville When: January 29 to March 8, 2026 | 20:15 (Mondays to Saturdays) Where: Maynardville Park, Piers Rd, Wynberg, Cape Town, 7800 Website: www.maynardville.co.za Bookings: Quicket Direct booking link: https://www.quicket.co.za/organisers/56357-maynardville-open-air-festival Cast: Michael Richard (Sir Toby Belch) David Viviers (Feste) Graham Hopkins (Malvolio) Natasha Sutherland (Maria) Jenny Stead (Olivia) Emily Child (Viola) Aidan Scott (Sir Andrew Aguecheek) Ntlanhla Morgan Kutu (Antonio/Curio/Messenger) Lungile Lallie (Fabian/Valentine) Paul Savage (Captain/Officer/Priest) William Young (Sebastian) Director: Steven Stead Set designer: Greg King Costume designer: Maritha Visagie Composer, music director:Wessel Odendaal Lighting designer: Oliver Hauser Sound designer: David Classen Approx running time: 90 minutes, without an interval |
Happy birthday Maynardville Open-Air Festival and hello to Twelfth Night which runs January 29 to March 8, 2026 | 20:15 (Mondays to Saturdays). It was thrilling to be at a sneak preview at Artscape. Jaco Van Rensburg of VR Theatrical chatted about this year, 2026, being the 70th birthday of Maynardville as a Shakespeare festival. Shakespeare was preceded by ballet but the first Shakespeare was staged in 1956. There was Covid interruptus but, here we are with 70 years of Maynardville which is incredible.
We were treated to snippets from the production. It is stylish, funny, saucy and looks delicious. The theme of Maynardville this year, is jazz, In Full Swing. This Twelfth Night is set in Italy in the 1960s, in a Fellini-esque world. Steven Stead in the director’s seat, had us enthralled as he spoke about the production and the play: “A comedy set against a background of loss”. Gorgeous multi-levelled set by Greg King and costumes by Maritha Visagie. Stead gives insights:
TheCapeRobyn: What led you to set this production of Twelfth Night, against a backdrop of jazz in Italy in the 1960s. I get that the theme of Maynardville 2026 is jazz but why Italy in the 1960s?
Steven Stead: Twelfth Night is set in the fictitious land of Illyria and Messaline, both Italianate sounding names. And we certainly didn’t want everybody putting on American accents. So Italy seemed like suitably stylish inspiration for this imagined land. Fellini’s film ‘La Dolce Vita’, released in the early 60’s, has been a further springboard for all the creatives on the show to realise this world.
TCR: Where in Italy in the 1960s, is the production set?
SS: The scenes in Twelfth Night are largely set in the gardens and courtyards of both Count Orsino and the Lady Olivia. So we have used Italian gardens with marble statues, tiled terraces and topiaries, to inspire a multi-purpose space for the play. The lush, leafy surroundings of the park in summer, with all its ambient sounds, make a perfect backdrop for our play. The set also features various levels and pathways, to allow fluid transitions and a bright, breezy pace which this farcical, yet thoughtful -and sometimes sad- comedy of errors requires.
TCR: Insights into Maritha Visagie costumes – which look very couture? Sophia Loren style?
SS: Maritha’s gorgeously elegant 1960’s inspired costume designs complete the ‘La Dolce Vita vibe’, for a delectably stylish theatre experience, under the summer night stars.
TCR: Can you tell us about the music for this production? Music is core to the story: “If music be the food of love, play on.” Shakespeare wrote six songs for Twelfth night, including three seminal songs sung by Feste.
SS: Yes, the music is very important. It provides a very plangent emotional counterpoint to the slapstick shenanigans of the plot mechanism, and Wessel has created some masterful jazz inspired accompaniments to Shakespeare’s lyrics, to be sung live by David Viviers as Feste.
TCR: What about accents?
SS: The cast all speak in their own accents, and the text is made very clear and accessible, even to those unfamiliar with the play. I’m sure though, that many who say they don’t know Twelfth Night will be will be pleasantly surprised at how many Shakespearean quotes and references they recognise. The play is littered with them.
TCR: Anything else to add about the production, the cast and staging Twelfth Night at Maynardville?
SS: It’s a treat to be working with such a wonderfully talented cast who all also happen to be lovely people and the lovely team at VR Theatrical have been an absolute treat to work with; caring, considerate, consummately professional and PASSIONATE about every aspect of theatre making. There is little doubt that without their creative proactivity, hard work and determination, Shakespeare in the park at Maynardville would be a thing of the past.
| Good to know about Maynardville 2026 Schools discount bookings: Contact boxoffice@maynardville.co.za for educational discounts Box office phone line: Active from 14h00 – 17h00 Monday to Friday. Call or WhatsApp 069 792 6020 Box office on site: Open during the festival season to assist with any last-minute queries or sales Parking: R50 by credit card for secure parking at Simon Van Der Stel Primary School Sports Field located just past the Engen Chelsea Village Convenience Centre at 6B Carr Hill Road -150m from the entrance with security patrolling the walkways. And there is more: Season ticket for parking: If you’re planning to attend three or more performances this season, consider a season ticket package. Instead of paying R50 per evening for secure parking at Simon van der Stel Primary, purchase a Season Parking Ticket for R150. The Season Parking Ticket allows you to park at the school on any performance night throughout the season – no need to pay per visit. Season Parking Tickets are available for purchase exclusively at the Maynardville Box Office, on property Free Unsecured Parking: Available by the Wynberg Public Library on Glaren Road or along public roads near the venue Hearing loop: Hearing loop available throughout festival. Two interpreted performances of Twelfth Night on Feb 5 and 7. See https://maynardville.co.za/deaf-hearing-impaired-audiences/ |
✳ Poster up at Maynardville 2026 – Graham Hopkins (Malvolio) in Twelfth Night. Pic: Robyn Cohen/TheCapeRobyn
