THEATRE REVIEW: As You Like It - The New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme.

Famously, “As You Like It” is one of the Shakespeare plays where a young woman spends most of the play disguised as a young man. And in Northern Broadsides’ production, everyone else is putting on or revealing disguises and identities as well, in an eclectically modern universe with some rather innovative casting. Last night’s performance was at the New Vic Theatre.

Set and costume designer E. M. Parry has had major fun with this. The initial scenes set in the Duke’s corrupt court were full of the sorts of sharp suits, exaggerated high heels, and tight corsets that could ornament a Lady Gaga music video. Once the action moved to the Forest of Arden, the trees were an arrangement of antique wooden hat stands. The seasons moved from coldest winter, with the exiles shivering beneath layers of coats in their outdoor forest existence, through to spring and finally summer, with clothing becoming a mash-up of Merrie Olde England meets Woodstock.

Director Laurie Sansom has had his own fun with the script. The court wrestling scene between Charles and Orlando was a big WWE-style spectacular, dryly hosted by Touchstone, and featuring “Chainsaw Charles” and “Wonderboy” as the contestants. (Touchstone assured us there will be monster truck racing next week….) Celia going to sleep in the forest brought on a primal, pagan Horned God dream sequence filled with unfulfilled maidenly desires. And the quadruple wedding scene at the end (a large nuptial marathon even by Shakespearean comedy standards) got a fertility maypole dance with a twist.

Non-binary actor EM Williams was superb as Rosalind. The flipping back and forth between masculine and feminine energy was effortlessly handled, and there was a sharpness and clarity in the wit and tenderness of the performance. Isobel Coward was a solidly earthy Celia, and was often roped in to illuminate the more damning descriptions of a woman’s character - which underscores some of the script’s original humour, and was now being subverted for today’s sensibilities.

Gemma Dobson was a scene-stealer both as Phoebe and the gossipy courtier Le Beau. Naked, unfiltered lust was her particular speciality, and her comic timing was excellent. Bailey Brook stumbled around after her worshipfully as Silvius, and also had a dynamic turn as wrestler “Chainsaw Charles.”

Shaban Dar was a sensitive, poetic Orlando, with a luminous presence. Reuben Johnson was suave and sophisticated as his corrupt aristocratic brother Oliver. Ali Gadema doubled as both the current Duke and the exiled Duke, making the most of big hair and a big voice in his Jekyll-and-Hyde roles.

Terri Jade Donovan was a cheerfully loudmouthed Audrey, brawling her way through her romances. Jo Patmore matched her as her former suitor William, chewing gum through an entire scene of being as unimpressed as possible, and also doubled as the sweet-voiced singer/musician Amiens.

Claire Hackett milked all the insults made against the elderly as devoted mature-age servants Adam and Corin. Adam Kashmiry loitered dourly in the shadows as Jacques. And giving a running commentary, some of it improvised, in an ongoing cabaret MC patter was Joe Morrow as Touchstone.

Reviewer - Thalia Terpsichore
on - 8.2.22