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After Malvolio interrupts their party and chastises them for their lewdness, Maria devises a way to gain revenge on the steward, which she proposes to Sir Toby and the others. Maria composes a love letter in Olivia's handwriting, and leaves it so Malvolio will find it. Beforehand, Malvolio had been wishing to marry Olivia.
The letter asks Malvolio to wear yellow stockings cross-gartered—a colour and fashion that Olivia hates, to be rude to the rest of the servants, and to smile constantly in Olivia's presence. Watched by Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Fabian, Malvolio finds the letter and is surprised and delighted.
(Malvolio even wears a toupée to appear younger than he is.) His attempts to woo her, however, are met with bewilderment by Olivia who has him committed , where he is subjected to further humiliations by Maria ( Imelda Staunton ), Feste ( Ben Kingsley ) and Sir Toby Belch ( Mel Smith ).
Meanwhile, in Olivia's household, her maid, Maria, and drunken house guests Sir Toby Blech and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, play a trick on the pompous head servant, Malvolio.
However, as the play progresses, it transpires that Sir Toby is just taking advantage of Sir Andrew's riches. His tormenting of the steward Malvolio is similarly double-edged in its tone of "sportful malice" (V,1). The plot against Malvolio is generally considered a comic highlight of the play, but critics have often complained of its cruelty. [1]
Maria is shown to have a friendly relationship with Sir Toby Belch, and exhibits a witty attitude. Maria also forges a love letter to Malvolio which results in Malvolio being confined to a dark room (a treatment for madness). In the end of the play, this relationship with Sir Toby Belch ultimately leads to their marriage.
Neil Armfield had directed a stage production for the Lighthouse Company, the State Theatre of South Australia. Several of the cast from that production reprised their roles, including Jacquy Phillips, Peter Cummins, John Wood and Geoffrey Rush; Ivar Kants and Tracey Harvey were new additions.
Olivia’s household is home to a lively group: her uncle Sir Toby, the servants Maria and Fabian, and the fool Feste. These four amuse themselves in various ways, often at the expense of others. One of their targets is Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a guest in the house. They also play a cruel prank on Olivia’s pompous steward, Malvolio.