As You Like It – @sohoplace Theatre – Saturday 7th January 2023

(Rated 7/5) As We Liked It – I would say – more than words can possibly express – I’d love to learn the arguably superior to words Shakespearean Sign Language (SSL) as developed by BSL consultant Nadeem Islam in collaboration with Rose Ayling-Ellis (playing Celia) and Gabriella Leon (playing Audrey) together with associate director Katie-Ann McDonough for their performances in this production – to express the sheer delight, joy, laughter, intense feelings of being utterly moved, heightened excitement, and plain awe – if awe can be plain – at what we were witnessing! This play seems to often be dismissed by those in the know – although as will become apparent – what do they know?! – as one of Shakespeare’s weaker comedies. It is judged to be a little lame in plot and of course with the usual mistaken-identities comedy device, he seemed to use in – well – all of his comedies as well as it trickling into some of his other plays. But, in this truly wonderful production by extremely accomplished director Josie Rourke, the mistaken-identities business is interpreted to its most rich. The casting of this show – yes it really is a show not just a play – couldn’t be more diverse and inclusive. Fantastic actors and performers from all creeds and colours and gender identities – he, she, they and not necessarily I’m sure those they were given at birth – as well as sexualities I’d imagine – even though the play does still ‘require’ for one pairing at least, the preference for each individual to be a member of the opposite gender. I am aware that I have a tendency in my reviews to say ‘this is the best ever bla bla…’ and here I go again: this is the best ensemble performance I think I have ever seen! And so, I will take you to the beginning: The audience were all sitting in our seats ready for the drama to commence, when a man who I thought had come from the audience, walked up to the piano and played some notes! Uumm, whaatt? Well the fact that the captions on the four screens showed the notes being played gave me the answer that, ok, yes, this is not a member of the audience randomly walking on stage – a pretty easy mistake to make as you have to walk on a bit of the stage to get to your seats if you’re in the stalls. The fact that he was actually a performer himself was confirmed when he put on the jacket – complete with beautifully Elizabethan ruff – now we know what time we are entering into – and properly took us all along with him into the play. This man turned out to be the music composer – as well as pianist – his name Michael Bruce. Oh, my goodness a name to remember! And he didn’t just play the piano – well ok yes in essence he did – but he reacted brilliantly to all the other cast members – as though he was another character – which effectively he was though not one created by Shakespeare himself as far as we know. The music from the midi piano – I have it on good authority that that’s a piano which can be kind of pre-programmed so a section of music can be produced by simply hitting one switch – was the most enchanting player in this show. And at its sound along came the entire cast onto the stage to open the show with joy and merriment. (I happily saw Rose Ayling-Ellis – you never know when one of the key reasons for choosing to go to something may be absent and you’d get the understudy instead.) A candelabra on the piano together with an impressive chandelier – both with real candles – and the dress of those present guided us into the opening scenes in the court of Duke Frederick (Tom Edden). So, then what happens? Well following some playful – between heroin Rosalind (Leah Harvey) and her cousin Frederick’s daughter Celia (Rose Ayling-Ellis) and not-so-playful - between hero Orlando (Alfred Enoch) and his brother Oliver (Ben Wiggins) - wrestling and interactions establishing the key characters and their relationships, Rosalind, Celia and court fool, Touchstone (Tom Mison) decide to flee to the forest of Arden with Rosalind disguised as a young man and Celia as a poor lady as Frederick has become angry with his niece Rosalind. Rosalind’s father – the exiled Duke Senior (also Tom Edden) lives there with various supporters, including Jaques (Martha Plimpton), who has the honour of delivering the “All the world’s a stage…” speech. It should also be noted that Rosalind and Orlando have fallen in love at court, but then Orlando also has to flee following his fight with Oliver and dispute with Duke Frederick. So basically, the entire cast of characters ends up in the Forest of Arden. Let the mistaken-identities shenanigans begin!! And it really does become wonderfully entwined and complicated! I was most interested to see Rose and her SSL. Incorporated into it is not just BSL, but elements of visual vernacular, sign mime and gesture to convey her emotions. Rose was a very active Celia indeed! The words of Shakespeare she was performing were posted up on the screens (as was the entire script) and sometimes I’d look to check I was interpreting her correctly, but she was phenomenal. She only actually spoke once and in doing so indicated a fundamental issue going on for her character and what was expected of her by her father – so poignant. There are many lovers in this play (all mixed up but eventually coming together neatly!) and each couple beautifully develops their own language of love – be it with the use of words, sign, mime, song and/or dance and movement. The piano and its operator Michael kind of becomes the interactive plaything and conductor for all the performers. This is no school-play interpretation but a really highly sophisticated, clever, enchanting and engaging experience for everyone. As my theatre companion dad said ‘It’s Insightful, philosophical tomfoolery’ with Shakespeare’s Troubadours exceptionally and expertly showing off his poetic language of human nature and love. Many of the cast sung, but for me the most gorgeous voice came from Allie Daniel as Amiens and ‘Court Lady’. Everybody had comic turns, but Tom Mison’s Touchstone was outstanding and interacted well with audience members too. I wished I’d been one of those he deliberately chose for one of the teasing jokes! Leah Harvey was superb in the lead role of Rosalind. I adored the immensely caring relationship between her and Rose as devoted cousins. And the little touches that Leah, Alfred and later Ben too continued to sign for her to explain what was going on even if their characters were not part of the main action at the time. Michael wins best smile for me. And as I hinted before really performed all his interactions with the characters of the play as well as responding to the dramas that were going on. He and Touchstone tuned up the goats with the piano at the start of act II causing great hilarity. It was a fantastic sight with everybody – well at least all performers even if all characters could not be as actors doubled or even tripled up roles – on stage in the last scenes. The energy of them all together just so magical. I felt so close to them all. In fact, Dad and I literally were – we could easily touch the stage – oh and in my case even steal some stage leaves which showered onto the stage to indicate the transition from court to forest! – and see every single detail of anything or anyone at our side of the stage. I noticed Syakira Moeladi’s character supposedly preparing mushrooms, but instead she just turned them round in her hands lol. Who haven’t I mentioned yet? Mary Malone – playing Phoebe – was as beautiful as her name and character name may suggest. Nathan Queeley-Dennis trying to woo Phoebe naïve yet so charming. I wanted him to win her! June Watson played dual roles Adam and Corin to great effect even transforming between them whilst lying on the piano! Cal Watson was a very handsome Le Beau. Gabriella Leon was great fun and cuddly as Audrey. Dickon Gough also very good in multiple roles. Everybody was truly excellent and inspired empathy and deep connection. I felt so highly emotional at the end and had tears – some sadness that they’d gone – but mostly just incredibly moved by the whole experience in their company. At curtain call – oh except there was no curtain and I should say that @sohoplace theatre is like a smaller and inside version of Shakespeare’s Globe with the audience in the round on all sides – the actors moved around to bow to all sections of the audience. As Rose passed me, I BSL signed my applause to her – I got a BSL and mouthed thank you 😊. The brand new – since September 2022 - @sohoplace theatre has been described as soulless. I couldn’t disagree more. It was jam packed with soul and very sensitive talented souls. I love it and want to go again – to the theatre and maybe to see ‘As I Loved It’ again <3 https://online.fliphtml5.com/iqdop/dpst/#p=5

As You Like It – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2023