When Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance agreed to be photographed by English photographer and vegetarian food writer Mary McCartney (born 1969) as he applied his make-up prior to his performance as Olivia, the understanding was that McCartney would leave after he was made up; Rylance is never photographed after that moment. McCartney duly began to pack up her equipment, but to her surprise Rylance leaned over and asked whether she would like to remain to photograph him and the rest of the cast (including Stephen Fry in the role of Malvolio) backstage.
Twelfth Night documents this intimate and privileged experience, capturing the entire performative arc undertaken by each of the actors and musicians involved; from both the intense psychological preparation to the candid moments of relaxation that accompany the intensity of the stage wings. McCartney's work creates a fascinating juxtaposition of these intricately costumed figures in various stages of period dress against the backstage spaces of the theater.