Theatre: book now to see Mark Rylance in The Globe’s all male productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III at the Apollo Theatre

We missed these productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III when they were at The Globe in 2002 and wished we hadn’t as we heard such great things about both. With all male casts, as was the practice in Shakespeare’s day, the sets, music, costume and dances of both productions have been inspired by Elizabethan staging. The singular Mark Rylance starred in both plays, playing Olivia in Twelfth Night and the title role in Richard III. Rylance, who recently won an Olivier and Tony award for his performance in Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem, is also known as one of the very best Shakespearean actors of his generation (we saw his Hamlet in 1989 and will never forget it), and was the first artistic director of The Globe, so it’s great news that he and these productions are returning to the stage, this time to the Apollo Theatre in the West End. The creative team and some of the cast are the same as they were at The Globe, with direction by Tim Carroll, but there have been a few changes. Such as? How about Stephen Fry as Malvolio in Twelfth Night. We don’t normally care about star casting, but we’re already laughing at the thought of Fry in yellow stockings and crossed garters. What an inspired choice. The plays, which are running in rep, aren’t on till November, but they will only be around for a limited season and some nights have sold out already, so you must book now (especially if you are after cheaper tickets), if like us, you are dying to see both.