AS YOU LIKE IT.
AS YOU LIKE IT: William Shakespeare.
RSC Main House Stratford Upon Avon.
Runs: 3h 15m, one interval.
Review: Rod Dungate, 17 August 2005.
A slow start leads to a surefooted and completely satisfying production.
Dominic Cooke's blue touch paper smoulders for quite some time before this production catches. But once the fire burns (round about Orlando's fighting entrance into the Banished Duke's forest court), the flame never falters. Gentle, subtle, wonderfully surefooted the production offers a completely satisfying interpretation of the play.
The slow start isn't entirely Cooke's fault, it's inherent within the play itself. Not least because Shakespeare's humour here appears at times laboured or contrived. Cooke dangerously (but rightly) brings this to the fore, for the court is a place of artifice and contrivance. This production's Rosalind and Celia ape these manners well, good courtiers that they are; but see how Celia's manner changes after her cousin's (and best friend's) banishment. Amanda Harris's emotional gear-change is abrupt and huge, she changes the emotional tone of the scene. Thrilling.
Amanda Harris and Lia Williams are a splendid Celia and Rosalind. They are a strong axis for the play and it simply couldn't be clearer that they've been best friends for years (and years.) They cram every second full of a deep affection that is a marvel to behold. When Barnaby Kay's vulnerable Orlando joins the pair in the forest scenes you witness something special. In Cooke's Forest of Arden time really does stand still; the three actors play with amazing honesty coupled with a great spaciousness; their sense of ease and space envelops us all in the audience . . . we are there with them. Within this setting Williams's epicene Rosalind/Ganymede is a commanding figure. Williams controls the action without taking over. Arden is indeed magical. There is a great sense of unity about these scenes captured and enhanced in Rae Smith's simple and evocative designs.
Big changes of emotion are a mark of this production. Cooke extends the play well beyond the words characters say. Emotional shifts are often expressed in groans, shouts, leaps and most tellingly in long, vibrating moments of silence. In this gently shifting production sometimes the drama seems to follow the force of nature, at other times nature seems to follow the force of the drama.
Jonathan Newth doubles the Banished and Usurping Dukes effectively; Cooke chooses to let us in on the doubling and this 'mirroring' effect is an additional plus. Paul Chahidi's Touchstone is great fun and his more excessive naughtinesses are entirely in keeping.
Joseph Mydell's Jaques is self-consciously cynical - a good touch in the vaguely Victorian setting. Though the staging of 'All the world's a stage' is bizarre. Mydell is unable to bounce his witticisms off the other characters speech, character and actor all suffer. Audrey is one of my favourite characters and Meg Fraser doesn't disappoint in an hilarious and energetic characterisation Touchstone will certainly have his hands full!
Orlando: Barnaby Kay.
Adam: Patrick Waldron.
Oliver: John Mackay.
Dennis: Alan Morrissey.
Charles: David Rogers.
Celia: Amanda Harris.
Rosalind: Lia Williams.
Touchstone: Paul Chahidi.
Le Beau: Miles Richardson.
Duke Frederick: Jonathan Newth.
Hisperia: Sally Tatum.
Jaques: Joseph Mydell.
Duke Senior: Jonathan Newth.
Amiens: Gurpreet Singh.
Silvius: Jamie Ballard.
Corin: Peter Bygott.
Audrey: Meg Fraser.
Sir Oliver Martext: Edward Clayton.
Phebe: Caitlin Mottram.
William: Trystan Gravelle.
Jacques de Boys: Trystan Gravelle.
Court and Forest Lords: Peter Bankole, Chris McGill, Barrie Palmer.
Directed by: Dominic Cooke.
Designed by: Rae Smith.
Lighting designed by: Paule Constable.
Music composed by: Gary Yershon.
Sound designed by: Paul Arditti.
Movement by: Liz Ranken.
Fights directed by: Terry King.
Assistant Director: Hannah Eidinow.
Company voice work by: Lyn Darnley.
2005-08-18 15:11:19