As You Like It

also at the Barbican Theatre, London, from the 12/12/1985

Cast & Crew

Cast

Observations

1. On 28^th August 2023 at 9:41 p.m., Scoundrel noted:

   I saw this production in August 1985. It remains a delightful memory.

   For information, Rosalind was played by Juliet Stevenson and Celia by Fiona Shaw. Alan Rickman, who I had never heard of in 1985, was outstanding as the malcontent Jacques. Joseph O’Connor played both Dukes, and my parents were delighted to see him as they remembered him as Old Jolyon Forsyth from the BBC version of The Forsyth Saga. I remember Nicky Henson as Touchstone, the court jester, flippant and pleasingly light hearted. There’s a subtext to the play that it’s May, the warm weather has only just arrived, and the exiled Duke’s loyal court has just survived a really tough winter in the forest and need Touchstone’s gaiety to remind them to be glad that today is a good day.

   As I remember, it was an inexpensive but clever production, for example sound effects, coloured lighting and white sheets represented the actual forest instead of mock up trees. I thought that suited the magical realism of the play perfectly. In the early wrestling scene, Orlando gained a very unfair break of a wrestling hold from Charles the Duke’s wrestler by kissing him – that got a huge laugh from the audience.

   I hope this memory is useful.

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