The production of Twelfth Night avoided the pitfall of dating itself by using deliberately theatrical settings. By not trying for realism, and staging most of the action using the same set, they found the ideal compromise between stage and screen. Of the four productions it is the most obviously filmed theatrical performance, as the cameras seem to be accommodating the original staging instead of the performances being adapted to the screen.

In some ways this means that this Twelfth Night is the closest to actually attending a Shakespearean production in the theatre. While not as spectacular as the Macbeth is in places, it is probably the most consistent of the four productions. The performances manage to retain the theatrical nature of the text, while at the same time playing for the cameras instead of for the last row of the theatre. Of course it doesn't hurt that Twelfth Night is one of the most approachable of Shakespeare's comedies, but that shouldn't detract or diminish the quality of this performance.

In the end, despite some disconcerting elements, these are four wonderful examples of what it's like to see Shakespeare performed when none of the actors are intimidated by the text, and everyone from the leads to the smallest walk-on has a firm grasp of how to "speak the speech". Outside of the recent production of Merchant Of Venice featuring Al Pacino in the role of Shylock, these have to be four of the best filmed productions of Shakespeare I've seen.

If you're looking for the means to introduce someone to the joys of the Bard of Avon, or simply would like to enjoy the pleasure of seeing his work properly acted for a change, this is a great package. You can pick up a copy of the Thames Shakespeare Collection at the A&E web site. You won't regret it.