Unrequited love, a little cross dressing, a few cases of mistaken identity and a bit of good old fashioned mischief.

It鈥檚 a combination that can鈥檛 help but delight and amuse, as Bard in the Valley returns with its third season offering 鈥� a production of one of Shakespeare鈥檚 best loved comedies, Twelfth Night, in Douglas Park.

Written in the early 1600s, Twelfth Night follows Viola, a young aristocratic woman who finds herself shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria and disguises herself as her twin brother Sebastian (whom, she assumes, was lost at sea) in order to protect her virtue in this strange land.

While dressed as a man, Viola catches the eye of Olivia, a young noblewoman who is coveted by Duke Orsino. The Duke, in turn, is beloved by a disguised Viola.

As in all of Shakespeare鈥檚 comedies the play ends in a flurry of couplings and happily ever afters.

The fun part, is getting there.

Stepping into the lead role of Viola for BITV鈥檚 production is Caroline Dearden, a 20-year-old 91原创 actress. Dearden, who played Phoebe in last year鈥檚 production of As You Like It, didn鈥檛 go into auditions with any particular part in mind, but said winning her first lead role has been both a thrill and a challenge.

鈥淚鈥檝e kind of been discovering new things about Viola each time I go to rehearsal,鈥� said the actress.

鈥淪he鈥檚 very strong and has strong ideas.  She鈥檚 sympathetic to Olivia and understands what it鈥檚 like to be in love with someone who can鈥檛 love you back.鈥�

Beyond the laughs it provides, Twelfth Night is imbued with a level of insight that spans the centuries since it was penned.

鈥淪hakespeare was a very keen observer of human nature,鈥� said Dearden, adding the play is 鈥渜uite brilliantly written and quite relevant today.鈥�

While she loves the open environment of the outdoor Spirit Square stage in 91原创 City, performing live theatre in a park presents some rather unique challenges, the young actress acknowledged.

鈥淟ast year, a young gentleman walked up on stage (during a performance). Everyone just kept going,鈥� she said, with a laugh.

Then there was the fallout of the blistering August heat the year before.

During its inaugural season, while performing A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream, the concrete around the stage burned the bare feet of the faeries and had to be hosed down between acts. But the water evaporated almost as quickly as it was splashed on.

鈥淚t was really, really hot,鈥� recalled Jacq Ainsworth, who performed as a tree in that production.

This year, Jacq has slipped into the director鈥檚 chair, alongside her mother, June Ainsworth.

鈥淪he鈥檚 the one with all the experience. She鈥檚 the one with all the vision and she鈥檚 letting me play,鈥� laughed Jacq.

For the younger Ainsworth, that has meant working closely with the actors to help them fine-tune their performances.

Neither woman was sure how the performers would respond to having two directors.

鈥淚t can be difficult for the actors at first, because they don鈥檛 know who鈥檚 boss,鈥� said June.

But it鈥檚 working, the women agree.

鈥淚鈥檓 telling the big story,鈥� said June. 鈥淛acq is working on the finer details. It takes a lot of the pressure off me, because I totally trust what she can do.

鈥淪he has skills. She鈥檚 seen me direct, she knows where I鈥檓 coming from.鈥�

Of course, one of the first things a director must do to get any production rolling is select their performers.

Because the plot of Twelfth Night calls for an actor and actress similar enough to pass as twins who could be mistaken for one another, casting was a challenge, June conceded.

鈥淲e managed to get two dark-haired people who are about the same build,鈥� she said.

Beyond that, she said, audiences are asked to suspend their disbelief and just enjoy the mayhem created by the confusion.

In Shakespeare鈥檚 day, all the roles 鈥� including the women 鈥� were played by men. In Bard in the Valley鈥檚 case, however, a shortage of male performers has turned that tradition on its head.

Three male roles have been combined into one character, to be played by a male actor.

That worked out in that the character is able to go into both Olivia鈥檚 and Orsino鈥檚 courts, Jacq explained.

鈥淗e gets an overview and becomes our guide. We get to see the full story from his perspective.鈥�

A number of other masculine roles in the production, meanwhile, have been filled by women.

That鈥檚 led to a bit of a plot twist, Jacq revealed.

鈥淛ust by virtue of having to cast some women in men鈥檚 roles we found another love triangle,鈥� she said.

Which characters, exactly could be caught up in it?

Well, say the directors, you鈥檒l just have to come to a performance and see.

鈥⑩赌⑩赌�

Twelfth Night runs from Thursday to Sunday, Aug. 9 to 12 and Aug. 16-19 on the Spirit Square stage in Douglas Park.

On Aug. 25 and 26 it moves to the International Festival at 91原创 Events Centre.

The plan is to have a truck at the Douglas Park location, selling hotdogs and cold drinks, said June. Some chairs will be set out, but audiences are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket with them. Evening performances begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

Admission is free, but the drama group will be accepting donations to help them with ongoing expenses and to enable them to mount future productions.