Twelfth Night: A William Shakespeare Play

"Twelfth Night," a comedy by William Shakespeare, is believed to have been written for the close of the Christmas season around 1601-02. The play expanded on the musical interludes and riotous disorder expected of such an occasion, with plot elements drawn from the short story "Of Apollonius and Silla" by Barnabe Rich, based on a story by Matteo Bandello. The first recorded performance was on 2 February 1602, at Candlemas, the formal end of Christmastide in the year's calendar. The play was not published until its inclusion in the 1623 First Folio. The title "Twelfth Night" prepares the audience for its jovial feel of festivities consisting of drink, dance, and giving in to general self-indulgence. Due to its themes such as young women seeking independence in a "man's world", and "gender-bending," there have been a number of re-workings for the stage, particularly in musical theatre, among them "Your Own Thing," "Music Is," "All Shook Up" and "Play On!"