TWELFTH night is being performed this week by Bingley Little Theatre

A cast of 12, working with director Alex Owens, is pulling out all the stops to ensure that this production is full of zest, fun and imaginative tweaks in its comedy of deception and gender disguise. Written by William Shakespeare around 1601 to1602 as a twelfth night’s entertainment for the close of the Christmas season, the language may be Shakespearean, but the emotions are still relevant to the current day. Music really is the food of love in this contemporary, gender fluid production that has a vital elan and reminds us that Shakespeare was way ahead of us in subverting the idea of gender as something permanently fixed.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: A scene from Twelfth Night by Bingley Little TheatreA scene from Twelfth Night by Bingley Little Theatre

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Alice Smithson came over from Canada to appear in the productionAlice Smithson came over from Canada to appear in the production (Image: submitted)

Alice Smithson, playing Olivia, came over from Canada to assume the role. No stranger to Bingley Little Theatre audiences, she last appeared in Proof but since she went to Canada to take on on the ‘real life’ roles of a whisky sommelier, head bartender and mixologist

Alice has the last word: “Dynamic, innovative, and witty, you would be ‘no better in your wits than a fool’ not to watch it”.

Twelfth Night runs at Bingley Arts Centre from Monday December 5 to Saturday December 10. Tickets are available online from bingleyartscentre.co.uk, or from the box office on 01274 567983