Review: As You Like It

The Downing Dramatic Society’s version of As You Like It is exactly how I like a performance: hilarious, playful and brimming with creative energy. 90% of ticket sales are going towards Mermaids UK, a charity supporting transgender, non-binary and gender diverse young people and their families. You can bask in the May Week sun, have a thoroughly entertaining afternoon and simultaneously support a worthy cause!

Image credit: Bryan Abi Karam

Director, Joe Short, draws out the queerness of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. He sets his adaptation in the 1970s. The play’s programme succinctly explains that Shakespeare’s forest, where the “unusual” occurs and characters explore that outside limiting norms, mirrors the climate of the 70s, when people were challenging dominant ideologies with the gay liberation movement. The altered time frame adds value to specific elements of the script; the fact that effeminate Touchstone (played by Wilf Jenkinson) is the clown but also seen as an admirable figure to emulate by Jaques (Enyioma Anosike) seems to reflect a conflicted 70s. For me, the adaptation’s strength lies particularly in interactions with the audience which bring us into the play’s diverse microcosm, in small details and in excellent acting. A lot of thought, hard work and enjoyment has shaped this play and it is a testimony to the dedication of the Cambridge creative.

Image credit: Bryan Abi Karam

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I loved the opening scene, with Rosalind, played by H Sneyd, as the focal point whilst the rest of the characters pass behind them and interact with one another. It instantly establishes a varied and moving world and also is an utterly main character moment. Rosalind is one of Shakespeare’s most empowered creations and it is nice to see that being honoured from the outset. The inclusion of music could not have matched the summer vibes any better. An engaging, innovative start which pre-empts the rest of the performance.

Whilst there were a few scenes which would have benefitted from polishing, the standard of acting in As You Like It is admirable, as I expected from a largely experienced cast. Rosalind Wippell’s (Orlando’s) body language is excellent. She perfectly captures the sometimes confident but also shy and awkward Orlando. Her invasion of Duke Senior’s (Delphi Phillip’s) dinner party is truly hilarious. Special mention should also go to Margaret Saunderson (Amiens/ Hymen) who stands out for her comedic expressions and the ease with which she interacts with the audience. H Sneyd (Rosalind) interacts wonderfully with their counterparts. When they are reacting to Celia’s (Esther Welbrock’s) discussion of Orlando their actions are wonderfully melodramatic. So are those of Jake Burke (Silvius) when he complains to Phoebe (Alice Roberts) about his unrequited love. These melodramatic moments are exemplary; if someone were to ask me how I think Shakespeare would want his roles performed I would say, like this. I think the rest of the audience agreed—there were plenty of laughs and smiles.

Image credit: Bryan Abi Karam

Often it’s the little details which make a play truly comedic. The As You Like It team understand this. Orlando (Wippell) places his love poem in the mouth of the garden’s stone gargoyle. There is a sign which reads “Duke Fredrick’s court keep off the grass” on one side and the other tells a viewer that this is Arden forest and that grass is for sale. Apart from being a handy locator this prop pokes fun at our University’s system, it brings the play back to the here and now. Shakespeare intended his plays for theatres and I think it can pose quite tricky translating them to the outdoors. These comedic additions show a team comfortable with their setting. They also proved the actor’s ability in quick-witted improvisation; when wind kept knocking their sign down they embraced the moment’s slapstick energy.

Image credit: Bryan Abi Karam

Let’s move from signs to the costumes, designed by Robin Simon. Hymen (Saunderson) wears a dazzling outfit, literally, which secured a lot of laughs and gasps. The costumes are of the 70s era with flared trousers and oversized, shoulder-padded blazers and there are some surprise pieces which prove an excellent touch! On a budget, the team did a great job.

Image credit: Bryan Abi Karam

‘All the world’s a stage and the men merely players’. Looking beyond Jaques’ famous phrase, this version of As You Like It prioritises inclusiveness and audience participation. Certain audience members were asked to hold up a rope in the fight scene, one read a line of verse and the lucky person to my right got Orlando’s love lyrics. The back of the programme also proves a fun surprise and playful performances to the audience add to the comic quality of the show. Breaking the fourth wall can run the risk of making a play feel one-dimensional, reminding the viewer it’s a play in ways which distance us, in As You Like It these moments integrate onlookers into the action. Joe Short and his team wanted to ‘explore the latent queerness’ of As You Like It, to ‘remind us that there have always and will always be queer people’. The show cherishes queerness and I think audience participation is integral; encouraging the spectator to join the diverse community that is Shakespeare’s world.

4/5

As You Like It is showing Thursday 19th – Saturday 21st June at Downing College. Book your tickets here.

Featured image credits: Brian Abi Karam.