If you like Shakespeare, the chances are you will love Meat and Two Veg, the Battersea Arts Centre production which is providing a great alternative to pantomime.

The show, which has been winning critical acclaim up and down the country, is the brainchild of actress Alex Murdoch, one of the trio behind Cartoon De Salvo.

It is based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, in which twins brother and sister are separated by a storm at sea.

They are both washed ashore on the same island, and the girl disguises herself as a man in order to stay alive.

Yet when the woman she is a servant to falls in love with her believing her to be a man, all hell breaks loose especially when her twin brother reappears.

Alex's adaption is every bit as comically confusing as the original, but Meat and Two Veg has been very much a labour of love.

"I always wanted to direct a version of Twelfth Night," she says.

"A few years ago I applied for funding to put my own production on, but was turned down.

"I thought, why not do my own version, just keep the elements of the play I really like and build a new show around them."

So what can audiences expect when they see this production?

"The story is now set after just after the end of the Second World War and Violet believes her brother is dead because he was reported missing in action.

"So she starts wearing his clothes, which leads not only to a lot of confusing love interest, but she soon discovers boys have more fun."

Cartoon De Salvo has now been together for five years and a lot of their work has begun life at the BAC.

"This is the second company I have been involved with," Alex says.

"The first one was a company I founded just after leaving university, but it didn't work out.

"But then I got together with David and Brian and we've been working together ever since.

"The centre was a real help to us then, and still is Tom Morris, the artistic director, really looked after us.

"Not only did he help us with the artistic side of things, but also the business side of things as well."

As well as this production, Alex and Cartoon De Salvo are working on their new show at the BAC.

Progress

"It is another devised piece called Ladies And Gentlemen Where Am I? It's a work in progress we did stage it during the Octoberfest at BAC, but we're still working on it."

"But we've been really busy touring with Meat And Two Veg, playing everywhere from arts centres to village halls. A lot of people wouldn't have seen anything like this before, but they've said it's like going to a party."

Away from Cartoon De Salvo, Alex turns her hand to teaching clowning at Circus Space in Islington.

"It's always great fun to do, and it was just by chance I got asked to do some teaching there the regular teacher went off sick and they asked me to step in.

"But I stick to clowning and ground based activities there is no way I'm going up on a trapeze!"

Apart from the new show, what does the new year hold for Alex?

"I've never been a jobbing actor going from one thing to the next like a lot of people in the profession, so I can't say I'm doing The Bill or anything like that.

"I much prefer to be creating something.

"A lot of the people I know think of the theatre as being boring so what I really want to do is make it more accessible.

"When I'm not working I do try and get to the theatre as much as possible and I like a bit of everything, from drama to cheesy musicals!"

q Cartoon De Salvo are on at the Battersea Arts Centre. For details see the theatre listings inside.

December 14, 2001 12:31