Friday, September 20, 2019

AS YOU LIKE IT – REVIEW OF 2019 SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE PRODUCTION


Reviewed by James Karas

The 2019 production of As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre directed by Federay Holmes and Elle While is pure excrement. It is not so much a performance as an endurance test. I lasted until intermission and left promptly.

As You Like It opens with the young Orlando complaining to the very old servant Adam about the treatment he is receiving from his older brother. Orlando is a man and is played by Bettrys Jones, a woman. Old Adam is played by Simon Scardfield, a young actor.

Duke Frederick is the bad guy and his brother Duke Senior is the good guy. Frederick deposed his brother who has gone to the Forest of Arden where he is living with some companions. Both parts are played by Lily Bevan who tries to be funny, uses her hands excessively and is less than you expect or deserve.

The main characters are Senior’s daughter Rosalind and Frederick’s daughter Celia. The two of them escape to the forest to be with Senior and seek love. Rosalind is played by Jack Laskey, a lanky man, two feet taller than Orlando with whom s/he will fall in love.

Celia is played by Nadia Nadarajah, a mute who communicates using sign language. That means that we do not hear any of her lines except when they are interpreted for us. Some of the other characters sign or appear to sign when addressing her. I thought some of them signed whether she was near them or not or they simply flailed their arms. Being unable to speak is indeed a tragedy but giving her a role like Celia makes no sense at all. Why would you do it?

Jaques, the character who delivers The Seven Ages of Man speech is played Sophie Stone. Initially I thought she had a bizarre accent but then I realized that she probably has a speech impediment. She used her arms a great deal and moved almost continually. The programme biography indicates that she is the Co-Founder of the Deaf and Hearing Ensemble Theatre Company which means her speaking disability is related to her hearing issues.

Twelve actors play twenty plus roles and one of the gimmicks is to have them change parts in front of the audience. They turn their coats inside out or some such effort and, presto, they become another character. If there is a rational reason for doing this, it has escaped me. Directorial arrogance, an attempt at being different or original may be the ungenerous explanation but I will leave it at that.

There are attempts to engage the yardlings but they were not nearly as successful as in Henry V. There were a few in the audience who found the gags hilarious but not that many. I lasted until the intermission of an unfunny, unShakespearean, unbelievable and unendurable performance.  
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As You Like It by William Shakespeare continues until September 21, 2019 at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, London. www.shakespearesglobe.com  The Norman Conquests (2013)
Photos by Cylla von Tiedemann

James Karas is the Senior Editor - Culture of The Greek Press.

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