NHTP presents a hippie-era version of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night.’

With its overtures of love, its songs of exultance and its general spirit of merriment, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night, or What You Will” fits nicely in the colorful setting of the 1960s. Even the play’s more serious themes of gender and class identity were as relevant in the ’60s as they were in the 1600s. 

New Hampshire Theatre Project opened its local production of “Twelfth Night” on Jan. 6, exactly 12 days after Christmas. It was a fitting start date, as the play’s title traditionally refers to the last day of the Christmas season festivities. It runs through Jan. 22 at West End Studio Theatre in Portsmouth.

Director Genevieve Aichele stages the comedy in all the bold colors and fashions of the ’60s while remaining loyal to Shakespeare’s original script. An energetic local cast brings it all to life with irresistibly fun music and hilarity.

The play opens with Orsino (Jamie Bradley), duke of Illyria, pining over Countess Olivia, who is mourning the recent death of her brother and refuses to see her suitor. With a peace sign and other medallions dangling from his many necklaces, Orsino vents his love-sick sorrow in song, blowing a lonely harmonica while Curio (Meghann Beauchamp) sings and Feste the Fool (CJ Lewis) plays guitar.

“If music be the food of love, play on, give me excess of it,” Orsino says as the song concludes.

Meanwhile, a woman named Viola (Becky Rudolf) arrives in Illyria after a shipwreck separates her from her twin brother. Posing as a eunuch named Cesario, she becomes Orsino’s page and serves as his messenger to Olivia (Heather Glenn Wixson). The latter remains disinterested in Orsino but falls in love with Viola, believing her to be a man. Viola, however, has by then fallen in love with Orsino. 

As this triangle of unrequited love unfolds, another batch of jolly characters plans a cruel prank on Olivia’s uptight household steward Malvolio (Blair Hundertmark). The prime conspirators are Olivia’s uncle, Sir Toby Belch (Peter Josephson), and his drinking buddy, Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Robin Fowler), along with Olivia’s servants Maria (Kathleen Somssich) and Fabian (Todd Hunter). Their meddling convinces Malvolio that Olivia is in love with him and awaiting his advances.

As the mistaken identities and misdirected feelings pile up, so do the laughs. The confusion multiplies with the appearance of Viola’s twin, Sebastian (James Stewart), who’s been rescued from the sea by Antonio (Paul Strand).

The play is interspersed with several songs composed and performed by CJ Lewis, who channels the aura of the ’60s through his folk, blues and pop melodies. Bearded and wielding an acoustic guitar, Lewis also offers a magnetic performance as Feste, who proves to be much wiser and cooler than his title as fool would portend.

Josephson is deviously funny as Sir Toby, the mastermind of the malicious campaign against Malvolio. He staggers around the stage in a disheveled tuxedo, quaffing liquor from a flask and sometimes rolling on the floor in laughter. Fowler is equally hilarious as the good-natured but dimwitted “clodpole” Sir Andrew, who is both Toby’s coconspirator and the unwitting secondary victim of his tricks. Somssich and Hunter deftly round out this crew of merry pranksters. And Hundertmark, as usual, is delightfully comical as the notoriously abused Malvolio.

Rudolf, too, deserves recognition for her gender-bending performance, first appearing in ’60s-style knee-high boots and dress and then reemerging in men’s clothing with a voice several decibels deeper. She serves as the involuntary conduit between Bradley’s morose duke and Wixson’s increasingly giddy countess. 

The set is sparsely decorated with a couple of benches and a backdrop of sunny tapestries, but the costumes by Zhana Morris keep the atmosphere vibrant and eye-catching. Combined with the fine acting and music, it makes for an experience that is pleasing to the eyes, ears and funny bone. Who wouldn’t want to cavort about Olivia’s garden with Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Feste over a stoup of wine?

“Twelfth Night” runs through Jan. 22 at the New Hampshire Theatre Project, 959 Islington St., Portsmouth, 603-431-6644. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 to $24.