SOURCE: An introduction to Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, edited by J. M. Lothian and T. W. Craik, Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1975, pp. xvii-xcviii.

In the following excerpt, Craik comments on Twelfth Night in performance, focusing his attention on various theatrical interpretations of setting, costume, character, and scene.

The following selective account is concerned, first, with the vicissitudes of Shakespeare's text in the theatre; secondly, with the general history of stage performance, with special reference to setting and costume; and thirdly, with various theatrical interpretations of the play, and of particular scenes and characters.

The only recorded performance of Twelfth Night in Shakespeare's lifetime is that at the Middle Temple on 2 February 1602 witnessed by John Manningham. Performances at court by the King's Men took place on 6 April 1618 (as Twelfth Night) and on 2 February 1623 (as Malvolio). When the theatres reopened after the Restoration, Twelfth Night was in the repertory...