Performers move across a red-and-white checkered stage in low light, with one lifted high beneath a hanging canopy of torn white fabric.

The Backstage Theatre, Mountview, 120 Peckham Hill Street, London SE15 5JT2026

Twelfth Night

The Production

Mountview’s Acting cohort brought Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to The Backstage Theatre in May 2026. Directed by Federay Holmes, the production combined mischief, music and ensemble comedy in a youthful staging of Illyria’s confusions of love and identity.

43 photographs in the curated edit

Director: Federay Holmes
Musical Director: Ben McQuigg
Movement Director: Matthew Coulton
Lighting Design: Peter Harrison
Set Design: Anna Kelsey
Costume Design: Nicolai Hart-Hansen
Sound Design: Ben McQuigg
Commissioned by: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Photography: Steve Gregson

An empty red-and-white checkered thrust stage sits between rows of audience seating, with draped white fabric and greenery suspended overhead.

A smiling performer in black lace fastens a necklace on another performer wearing a sheer embellished top, surrounded closely by others under warm stage light.

A performer in a sheer embellished shirt clutches their hair with both hands, staring wide-eyed in a bright spotlight against a dark background.

On a red-lit checkered stage, one performer leaps with arms outstretched while another crouches on a plinth and points toward them.

A lone performer stands in a small spotlight on a raised checkered platform, framed by darkness and a large suspended fabric canopy above.

Two performers stand face to face in an intimate spotlight, holding hands with tense expressions against a dark stage.

Under purple-blue light, one performer with a curled moustache holds a microphone while leaning into another in a shiny floral robe and glasses.

Five performers spread across a raised checkered platform under blue and purple lighting, gesturing dramatically beneath a glowing white fabric canopy.

A performer in black lace and a veil reaches both hands forward, speaking with an urgent expression against a black background.

Two mustached performers crouch behind an ivy-wrapped column on a plinth, peering toward a partly visible figure on the checkered stage.

A lone performer in a dark layered dress stands center stage on a red-and-white checkered floor beneath a large suspended canopy of white fabric.

A performer in glasses, a white shirt, black tie and red corset clasps their hands while facing a blurred suited figure in the foreground.

A performer in a white T-shirt crouches alertly as another performer in pale clothing tosses a small rectangular prop through the air.

In a close, intimate moment, a performer in a shimmering black garment wraps an arm around a seated blond performer while a third figure stands blurred behind them.

Three mustached performers huddle anxiously on the checkered floor, looking up at a foreground figure in bright yellow laced boots and striped trousers.

Three mustached performers crowd around a small book, one holding a wooden cross, with startled expressions under warm stage light.

A performer in pale clothing lunges forward, arm extended with a knife, against a dark background with audience seating behind.

Several performers scatter across the red-and-white checkered stage as one in pale clothing brandishes a knife and another bends away under a raised hand.

A performer in black lace and tulle holds a large wide-brimmed hat and raises one hand, their expression solemn against the dark stage.

A performer sits on a red-and-cream tiled stage under a spotlight, while another in ornate robes stands behind them holding a red drape overhead.

A lone performer kneels at the centre of a raised tiled stage, reaching upward beneath hanging white fabric and stark theatre lighting.

A seated performer in bright yellow boots and striped leggings looks upward anxiously on the tiled stage, with audience seats dim behind them.

One performer in a pink jacket grips another from behind as both look distressed, with a seated performer watching in the background.

A performer in a dark clerical-style costume and square hat holds a hand to their chest, looking worried against a black stage background.

A performer in a ruffled collar and colourful jacket reads from a crumpled parchment, mouth open in dramatic surprise.

Two performers kiss on the raised tiled stage, one kneeling, while other costumed performers watch from the side.

Several performers gather around the red-and-cream tiled stage beneath hanging white fabric, creating a busy ensemble scene.

A performer in a black lace dress gestures with both hands raised, speaking with an animated expression under warm stage light.

A performer in a grey suit leaps forward with arms outstretched while another performer supports them at the chest.

On a red-and-white checkerboard stage, a performer in a pale suit lunges toward two braced performers while another stands between them under bright theatre lights.

A performer in shorts and a sweater vest leans forward shouting at another performer seen from behind, with audience seating close around the checkerboard stage.

A performer in a black floral robe and red glasses smiles and gestures toward a blurred performer in the foreground under warm red lighting.

A performer in a patterned black shirt, pale scarf, beads, and a single earring stares tensely at someone in a cream jacket in the foreground.

A performer in a layered colorful costume with a ruff and fingerless gloves points sharply across the dark stage, with two figures blurred behind.

Two performers in black veils and tulle face a blurred figure in white, creating a sombre, intimate moment on the dark stage.

A performer in a black lace dress clutches a bright red bag with an anxious expression, isolated against a black background.

A performer in ornate robes, a red mitre, and a long white beard raises both hands as if making an appeal on the dim stage.

A wide view of the checkerboard stage shows performers spaced across the set, one seated on a low step beneath hanging white fabric and bright overhead lights.

A performer in a cream suit looks distressed toward the audience while a blurred performer behind them covers their face with both hands.

Two performers reach toward each other across a red-and-white checkered stage under hanging white fabric, with audience seating surrounding the space.

A performer in a black tulle dress holds a bright red bundle while framed between oversized yellow-and-black strapped legs in the foreground.

A headset-wearing technician works at a dimly lit control desk with screens, notes and equipment during the performance.

Continue exploring

BA European Theatre Arts: New Horizons

Barn Theatre, Rose Theatre and Studio Theatre, Rose Bruford College, Sidcup2026

Explore drama school photography