As You Like It review

Letty Thomas makes an instantly likeable Rosalind, vigorous and resourceful, with flashes of vulnerability and romantic awkwardness that soften her brash exterior. She shares some lovely chemistry with Christina Tedders’ Celia, who convincingly conveys the depths of their affection in an early scene in which she renounces her inheritance, skilfully landing one of the production’s only real moments of drama without disrupting the cheery tone.

Luke Brady – who remains seated throughout due to an injury – still manages to bring plenty of dynamic energy to his role as Orlando. He is a charismatic and appealing presence, with great comic timing and an easy confidence that occasionally gives way to longing sighs. Playing Orlando’s unevenly matched wrestling opponent Charles, Peter Dukes wrings every bit of silliness out of a mimed bout that sees him vigorously grasping at air and hurling himself around in a series of uproariously funny pratfalls. Double-cast as Duke Senior, he becomes more reserved, making regal pronouncements in a deep, authoritative timbre, his sternness leavened by sincere compassion. And Trevor Fox is a particularly prickly and puritanical Jaques, a foil for everyone else’s good humour, who pops in at unexpected moments to make snide comments, leaving bewilderment and irritation in his wake.

The open-air location provides plenty of atmosphere, with the rustle of leaves and the calls of wild swans helping to site us in a picturesque forest setting that would not be immediately apparent from Liam Bunster’s almost featureless, bright-turquoise set. A back wall of rotating slatted panels provides a minimum of texture and is occasionally reconfigured to imply shifts between indoor and outdoor spaces. Bunster’s costumes feature worn leathers, severe military-style blazers and elegant dresses in navy blue and ivory, which nod towards the social status of various characters.

Ultimately, while this may not be the most faithful or inventive staging of Shakespeare’s bucolic romance, it feels fresh and fun – a thoroughly engaging slice of escapist summer entertainment.