Separated from her twin brother Sebastian after a shipwreck, Viola disguises herself as a boy to serve the Duke of Illyria. Wooing a countess on his behalf, she is stunned to find herself the object of his beloved"s affections. With the arrival of Viola"s brother, and a trick played upon Malvolio, the countess" steward, confusion reigns in this romantic comedy of mistaken identity. The gentle melancholy and lyrical atmosphere of "Twelfth Night", enlivened by a comic sub-plot of considerable accomplishment, have long made the play a favourite with Shakespearian audiences.