Day 23 of NaPoWriMo and, as today is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the poem had to be about him. I first became acquainted with his works way back in 1994 when I was given the part of Olivia in Quince Player’s production of ‘Twelfth Night’. Having never studied Shakespeare at school, I was not familiar with his plays but as soon as I read this one I was hooked! Unfortunately I cannot find my photographs of that play but what I did find were the ones of me playing Hecate in Macbeth. This was a more recent Quince Players production, staged in 2009. The photos are of me in my costume and the bottom right is of me in rehearsal. The poem though is more about Twelfth Night as it definitely remains my favourite.

Celebrating Shakespeare

400 years since the bard passed on
Although he’s not here
His works live on

Appearing in two of his great stage plays
Once as Hecate
And her wicked ways

But the play which showed me his writing skill
Was the comedy Twelfth Night
AKA What You Will

Playing Olivia, a wealthy countess
She falls in love with Viola
Who is a woman no less

Viola and Sebastian are twins you see
It all goes pear-shaped
Getting lost at sea

Shipwrecked in Illyria is where they land
Viola, to get work
Pretends to be a man

Viola gains employment with one Orsino
He loves Olivia
She doesn’t love him though

What then takes place is a muddle
And poor Malvolio
Gets caught in the middle

Conspiring conjured up by Olivias court
Means Olivia loves him
Or so Malvolio thought

Maria, Toby Belch and Feste are involved
But by the end
The mystery is solved

Olivia marries – thankfully Violas brother
Viola marries Orsino
When the mysteries uncover

Like most of Shakespeare, all is made amends
Everyone makes good
And with a song it ends

Victoria Welton 23rd April 2016