Review: AS YOU LIKE IT at Shakespeare’s Globe

Shakespeare’s comedy of marital match-ups, wit, wisdom and woodlands, gets the Globe treatment which includes musical accompaniment from Katie Richardson and her merry band ensconced above in the parapet, and partly successful stylised framed backdrops by designer Paul Wills which are gradually sketched-out by cast members during proceedings.

I confess, I have always struggled with the convoluted first half set-up of AS YOU LIKE IT. The contrived loose threads take so long to tease-out and then intertwine, that I find myself switching-off and cannot wait for the second half in which everything truly comes together — specifically, those moments where Rosalind demonstrates why she ranks as one of the Bard’s greatest creations.

In the role, Lola Shalam extracts comedy a-plenty as she dons a male disguise (as cock-sure Ganymede) to avoid detection, whilst simultaneously attempting to woo the object of her affection Orlando (Charlie Josephine, whose waspish and reedy vocal delivery was frequently inaudible and at odds with the presented feisty roguishness). I found myself sympathising with the entire company which had to battle at least a dozen large and noisy jets passing overhead during last evening’s performance, but an ability to project, is a fundamental requirement of any stage performer — particularly in an open air setting.

Elsewhere, the ebullient and irrepressible scene-stealer Jonnie Broadbent delivered the goods, anchoring scenes as Touchstone, and relative newcomer Molly Madigan as shepherdess Phoebe overcame a couple of line stumbles with oodles of sassy personality, marking her as one to watch. Both Thomas Josling as Oliver and Gracie Oddie-James as Celia, continue to develop their natural on stage talents and while stylistically very different, both exude huge future potential in lead roles.

Over all then, a commendable effort in delivering one of the more demanding and trip-heavy works in the canon but not fully convincing on all fronts which perhaps reflected the split in directorial duties. Ultimately, it was Lola Shalam’s night and rarely have I heard the throw away line “Do you not know I am a woman? When I think, I must speak.” delivered with such self-awareness and knowing parody of societal expectations.

AS YOU LIKE IT plays 2 hours 40 mins including interval and continues at Shakespeare’s Globe until 25th October.

As You Like It Tickets