OZACT returns for annual Shakespearean performance

SHAKESPEARE’S romantic comedy Twelfth Night is set for Kirk’s Reservoir Park later this month.

Staged by the travelling theatre company, OZACT, the shows mark the launch of the troupe’s summer tour.

The outdoor performance promises to deliver plenty of laughter through the Bard’s flashing wit.

Founder of OZACT and artistic director Bruce Widdop said performing the play outside makes the event more accessible.

“It brings audiences close to the performers, they get to see the actors in role, but they also get the opportunity to talk to the actors out of role,” he said

While in 1997 OZACT performed in the Botanical Gardens Reserve, Mr Widdop considers Kirk’s Reservoir Park to be the city’s “undiscovered jewel.

“The gardens are superb, there’s a creek that winds its way down from the reservoir through the gardens, there are beautiful European trees as well as native specimens and beautiful floral beds,” he said.

“The settings we perform in, Kirk’s and other places throughout the state are absolutely spectacular.”

OZACT has produced more than 400 Shakespearean performances in over 23 iconic locations across Victoria and South Australia.

Mr Widdop said the acting and the way the performance location and the play work together combine leave a lasting mark on the audience.

“Twelfth Night is a tale all about the complexities of love, with a side order of mischief, and plenty of laughter, all brought to life with powerful performances and enhanced by beautiful costumes, this production promises an event to remember,” he said.

This year marks the company’s 25th anniversary and the 12th year that OZACT has presented Shakespeare in the outdoors at Kirk’s Reservoir.

Set for Thursday, 26 and Friday 27 December visit ozact.com/events/twelfth-night for more information and to book.