The RSC’s summer offering in their outdoor Holloway Garden Theatre is a 90 minute version of “As You Like It”, adapted to be suitable for families and to serve as a gentle introduction to Shakespeare. The Holloway Garden Theatre is a superb location for this production, seating up to 500 people, with the RSC tower and dome of the Swan Theatre overlooking the stage.
With only 90 minutes to tell the story, the play wastes no time in kicking things into motion, with Orlando (Luke Brady) entering a wrestling match to win his fortune from his brother Oliver (Ned Derrington). Unfortunately, Brady had taken the phrase “break a leg” a little too literally, and an injury meant that the performance had to be adapted. Thankfully, Peter Dukes’ wrestler was more than able to give the impression of losing a match to an invisible man, and the audience were in high enough spirits that they cheered along with the other actors as Orlando “won” the bout.
Orlando and Rosalind (Letty Thomas) quickly fall in love – the harsh cuts to the script mean that everything happens quickly in this production – but no sooner have they clapped eyes on each other than Rosalind is banished to the Forest of Arden. Explanations for the banishment are glossed over (as are explanations for Orlando’s later flight to the Forest as well), and instead more time is spent on the comedy of the later scenes. This is arguably a good choice – the comedic scenes are definitely of more interest to the children in the audience.
Rosalind is joined on her travels by her cousin Celia (Christina Tedders, who is in no way dressed for a walk in the woods) and the fool Touchstone (Duncan Wisbey). As the action switches to the forest, the azure backdrop of Liam Bunster’s set unfolds to give the impression of trees and to give the characters potential hiding places so that they can eavesdrop on each other’s conversations. Apart from this, the set is simple and props are minimal – the actors are more than capable of telling the story without set and props, although it does leave some scenes seemingly existing in an unspecific place.
The play, directed by Brendan O’Hea, does an admirable job of “dumbing down” this complicated comedy. Rosalind and Celia assuming the disguises of Ganymede and Aliena is not as confusing as it could have been in a play where the majority of the actors portray multiple roles. It is very clear that, even in their disguises, Thomas and Tedders are still portraying Rosalind and Celia. Thomas in particular is able to guide the audience through the action, with various asides helping to make sense of the plot as the web grows ever more tangled.
Following his escape from his brother, Orlando finds himself in the forest of Arden as well, staying with the exiled Duke Senior (Peter Dukes) and the melancholy Jaques (Trevor Fox). Fox is delightfully sarcastic in the role, and his steampunk-esque costume helps him standout from the myriad of characters. I particularly enjoyed Jaques’ “Seven Ages of Man” speech, which I personally thought was one of the finest renditions I have seen performed. Fox’s physicality helps to bring Shakespeare’s words to life, and in a production which is all about accessibility, this very much helps with understanding.
Other characters – including Natasha Magigi as Phoebe, Chris Nayak as Silvius and Susannah Van Den Berg as Audrey – could be perceived as being introduced too late to proceedings to make an impact, but this is not the case. Magigi and Nayak’s relationship provides some of the comedic highs of the show, particularly Nayak’s boyish fawning over Magigi’s formidable Phoebe, whereas Touchstone’s vicious yet tongue-in-cheek putdowns of Audrey elicit laughs purely due to shock factor. Nonetheless, when Touchstone and Audrey finally agree to marry, there are cheers from the crowd, and the cast join together in a song and dance.
This is fun for all the family, and very much meets the RSC’s aims of producing a show that is inspiring for children, Shakespeare novices and Shakespeare experts alike. The cast wave at children in the audience during sneaky asides, and provide their own music, which interjects the action at frequent occasions, with audience encouraged to clap along whilst the cast provide comedic dances. By the time the final jig is done, you will no doubt have a smile on your face, and be longing for more. This production will be sure to bring a love of Shakespeare to a new generation of fans.
“As You Like It” plays at the RSC’s Holloway Garden Theatre until 1st September. Book tickets here.
Tom Morley, August 2024
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