Born With Teeth – Wyndham’s Theatre – Saturday 25th October 2025

(Rated 5/5)

‘Born with Teeth’ by Liz Duffy Adams, is a play inspired by the recent discovery concluded by the editors of the New Oxford Shakespeare, using scientific studies of writing techniques, that Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare collaborated on the three Henry VI plays with a likely probability of over 90%! Now that’s pretty high! Though the vast majority – if not all – of Shakespeare’s plays are now published in his name – historians believe that he wrote with several different writers on a fair few of them. As many will know theories also abound that Shakespeare didn’t write any of them at all! It’s certainly exciting to think about how he may have been at the very least influenced by a writing project with the – at the time of 1591 – high flying, exciting, Cambridge-educated, genius poet and Elizabethan-court spy Kit Marlowe, which Adams imagines in this play. Through her grammar-school, country boy, actor narrator – Will Shakespeare - she informs us at points “This didn’t happen”, or variations thereupon. As Kit and Will discuss, they are not reproducing “factual history” – if such a thing even exists – in their play, and neither is Adams. But, how wonderful to explore what may have occurred between these two; dynamic and gentle; opposing yet maybe attracting personalities, with their vastly different life experiences, views, morals and attitudes to life. The two-hander is full of snappy witty dialogue revealing of so much about both of these two impressive playwrights as they discover each other in front of us, explore their stark contrasts, attempt to draw things from the other they may not want to give, and play-fight, real-fight, attract and repel, creatively banter, come up with their lines, perform them together, and debate the dangers of the world they are in and what that could mean for them both in their journeys through life and even personal development. Just prior to ‘curtain up, my theatre companion and I were talking about the importance of chemistry between lead actors – whatever the nature of the relationships they are protraying – and how a play or show can fall flat if it isn’t present. No danger of that here. Will (Edward Bluemel) – and the rest of us – are dazzled by Ncuti Gatwa’s Kit’s edgy charisma and charm, and though he tries to resist, sparks fly between them. And Kit – though initially wanting to seduce Will into his world of espionage, gradually wants to seduce him in quite a different way, even later considering whether that gentle way of life towards which he was so scathing initially, might actually be quite attractive. The whole interaction – though in three acts – is over ever so much faster than the vast majority of Will’s plays – the fiery heart-pounding-inducing brilliance burns towards, well a twist at the end in the “This didn’t happen” mantra… but “No Spoilers” (Thanks River Song 😉)!

As Ncuti’s 15th Doctor knows there is “Always a twist at the end”. I saw Ncuti’s performances arguably in the wrong order 😉 In fact when I saw him announced as The Doctor, I didn’t even know who he was. I saw all his Who before his Eric Effiong in ‘Sex Education’, and that after his turn as Algernon Moncrieff in ‘The Importance of Being Ernest’. For me, he shines so bright and full of colour in all he does, and gives so much of himself to all his characters, using the trademark Ncuti laugh in such a variety of ways. Here he conveys the fierce danger of Marlowe in addition to the out and proud and exciting boundary-breaking beauty of him. Shakespeare was easily the duller of the two, and the implication being he could almost have gone under the radar if it hadn’t been for the inspiring influence of Kit. I didn’t think I knew Edward Bluemel, but then realised he played Maeve’s brother in ’Sex Education’ and Hugo in ‘Killing Eve’ – apologies you went under the radar for me there too, Ed – arguably great casting 😉

The production starts loudly as we are plunged into the peril of complete darkness following a crackling electric light show of images of Kit and Will. Then ‘Bang!’ on come a huge array of very bright and very hot lights almost blinding and burning us. On an amusing note, those of us who had gone in expecting to need layers against over-enthusiastic aircon, actually had to remove some! I was actually going to dock a mark for that, but I think it would have been unfair. I can now see the symbolism of it. So, lighting designer Neil Austen you are forgiven. Joanna Scotcher’s costumes were fabulously evocative of both their time and our time connecting the two – it is a story for all time in many ways. Daniel Evans directed – the programme notes that for films the director is often the key person – here it really does feel as though the writers – all three of them are and were! I love writing! I would love to have written this, but that honour goes to Liz Duffy Adams, and I’m sure Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare would have given her rave reviews! 😊

BornWithTeeth – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2025

Macbeth – Harold Pinter Theatre – Saturday 30th November 2024

(Rated 5/5) Of all of Shakespeare’s best-known plays, ‘The Scottish Play’ is my least favourite, though, ironically, I realise I have seen it a few times and I know Lady M’s sleepwalking soliloquy off by heart, and hold it in my heart too. So, why did I go yet again?! I mean, of course, Mr. David Tennant is always a draw for me – I have never seen him be ‘rubbish’! But that alone was not enough, and I only half-heartedly tried to get tickets at the Donmar, and didn’t feel that disappointed that I didn’t succeed. But, when the opportunity arose again, and my sister-from-another-mister together with her blood sister wanted to go, I gave my attempts at ticket-acquiring more energy and got row B stalls, before it all sold out very rapidly. I joked with my SFAM that the three of could be his three witches. And, as it turned out maybe so, as they were not physically present! Before I go on, there will be spoilers in this review. Not of the play and plot itself really, but of the production, because, in a way, it all needs saying to try to convey the impact of the ways the audience experienced it.

Once in your seat, you’re invited to put on headphones and test to make sure you hear sounds in the correct ears – very important for later – and yes, you literally cannot hear the performances properly without them. I later met up with my ‘Three Boys’ and A commented it was 8D sound – actually yes – noises of all varieties come at you from all directions, and in some cases it’s pretty crucial to be able to identify from whence they emanate 😉 Macbeth opens with the ‘Weird Sisters’ – no, not me, my SFAM and her sister lol – voiced by the ensemble directly into our ears, as though coming from everywhere and internally at one and the same time. Together with the smoke and candle-lighting you immediately feel like you’re in an other ethereal world, and that together with a minimal black set and a simple glass box at the back trapping at different points many of the cast, who are all – besides one – dressed in dark colours, provides a powerful sense of the sinister and feeling that you’re deep into the darkness of the psychology of this play. Being so immersed, and with tremendous performances hitting me, I genuinely felt more connected with this Macbeth than any other. When Shakespeare is performed with such perfect awareness of the meaning and skill at expressing the emotion of it by the actors, the audience cannot fail to ‘receive it’. David Tennant is certainly a master of the bard. He, and Cush Jumbo as Lady Macbeth, had me so fully engaged. And there is an interesting ‘twist’ in this particular production – He is all in black, She is all in white – unusually and unexpectedly, she is the light to his dark. David’s Macbeth put me in mind of him playing cold psychopath Dennis Nilsen in ‘Des’, and the pace of his delivery and character development too, reminded me of the way he gave us the fast-thinking 10th Doctor becoming all too power-obsessed in the ’Doctor Who’ episode ‘The Waters of Mars’. As many will know, it is normally Lady M, who encourages and even manipulates the couple’s dastardly deeds, but here she is the humanity and conscience to his apparent total lack of guilt. That said the headphones add to the intimacy of the turmoil of their interactions – he can whisper into her and we hear every little murmur. We feel trapped in the game of crowns too, which has to be played by adults and children alike. The presence and absence of children is very keenly felt in this – and again Lady Cush Macbeth poignantly conveys her lack and pain at never being a mother. It also put me in mind of the Tudor World of Hilary Mantel’s ‘Wolf Hall’ and the story of Richard III’s nephews ‘The Princes in the Tower’ and the unsolved potential crime; were they murdered? – both very present on our TVs just at the moment. We’d hope we had become less barbaric, but tragically innocents and children are dying even today in places around the world, simply because of politics! Have we not learned??!! Yet, this is of course exactly what good theatre does for us – it’s past, it’s present, it’s future, it’s showing us ourselves in all our glory and utter tragic insanity.

Just as the darkness and devastation may be getting too much, Jatinder Singh Randhawa distracts us away from the stage by appearing to our right in one of the boxes and teases us about wearing headphones, ‘Are you expecting a radio play?’, argues with an usher who is supposedly trying to throw him out and get him to buy a very expensive programme, and then gives us a stand-up show! At first, I found this very contemporary sketch – mentioning the likes of Suella Braverman and Trump – out of place and distracting, but it later occurred to me this is actually a History play even though it wasn’t called one, and with kings in it, it also needs a fool. Jatinder was a superb fool and made me smile so much. ‘Knock, Knock…’ And after such not entirely frivolous jollity we are back to knocking at the gates of the court of Macbeth! The ensemble cast are like trapped shadow-figures at many points, yet also very front and actively present at others. Standing out for me was Rona Morrison as Lady Macduff – aside from excellent acting she also had excellent red hair! 😉 As also did Gemma Laurie as Ross – we noticed she got extra applause from the cast, then realising she was the cover for usual Ross – an impressive cover 😊

I had a strange experience of time in this production. Even though in many ways it was obvious where we were in the play, I felt Lady M’s presence much longer than I have in other productions. It’s like she was very much there even when she physically wasn’t. I guess that was in part the power of the character’s influence, but also a little like the witches, she could be present in spirit and not in body. The ghosts of other characters continually haunted Macbeth also as the actor playing them was always present even if their character was absent. This, I’ve only just fully engaged with as I write about it now. Clever choice and effect! Our headphones delivered a great deal more than simply actors’ voices, together with wildlife and witchcraft, there was music… and also, we had dancing worthy of places on Strictly! Very enjoyable to watch 😊

As I mentioned earlier, I talked with my ‘Three Boys’ about this production afterwards and A said he had to learn and deliver one of the soliloquys. I started ‘Is this a dagger…’ He said ‘No, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow…’ I asked him why. Apparently, because it was the shortest 😉 I’d witnessed David Tennant joking with Greg Doran about that speech, yet in performing it, of course, David was ever the professional and we felt Macbeth’s utter brokenness and devastation at the loss of his Lady wife.

This production has given me whole new insights into and appreciation of The Scottish Play. Thank you, David, Cush, Will, Director Max Webster and the whole cast and crew!! Macbeth – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2024

Player Kings – Noel Coward Theatre – Saturday 8th June 2024

(Rated 5/5) In my youth I had two portly gentlemen who took on the roles of my Step-Grandad and my Self-Chosen’ Grandad; the first being married to one of my blood Grannies, and the second married to my Self-Chosen Granny! I loved their sizes – though my Step-Grandad with his twenty stone made my Self-Chosen Grandad look like a sylth, their cuddliness, their charm, their wit, their naughty cheekiness, their warmth, and, in a sense, most of all the feeling that with them I felt protected from the harsh world of responsibility. So, I can fully relate emotionally and psychologically to Prince Hal’s choice of his ‘other’ Dad – Sir John Falstaff – who for him provided a world ever so far removed from that of his Dad, King Henry IV, and the responsibility of his birthright to become King Henry V. Of course, my own life is also far removed from the much more heightened drama of Shakespeare’s ‘Henry IV, Parts 1&2’, except that I had to study that first part for ‘O’ Level English Literature, and at the time, that felt much more serious an endeavour, than watching Robert Icke’s adaptation of the two plays together, ‘Player Kings’. Not that I was thinking about any of that when I chose to go – Sir Ian McKellen was the draw, and though I felt somewhat anxious at the prospect of the length it might be with two plays combined – two full-length Hamlets together would be 8 hours – I decided to face it for the greater good 😉 – Oh, also persuaded by Michael Sheen’s comment that seeing Sir Ian McKellen give us his Falstaff would be a moment of theatrical history. And, I can honestly say, that for me Act I did feel like it flew by in the matter of moments – in reality 2 hours! (Act 2 felt a little slower, and some fatigue set in, but that can be forgiven, and no marks docked off as a result 😉)

My high school introduced me to the task of learning about ways to analyse and assess Shakespeare, and my Mum introduced me to a profound deep love, emotional experience and appreciation of it. Similarly, the ‘Newsreader’ characters in the opening of ‘Player Kings’ – courtiers to Henry IV – introduced us to the context of the history and serious politics of the play – with Shakespeare in prose mode – and then with a blast of intense, lively jollity (and a dash of almost nudity and crudity!), we are transported to The Boar’s Head Tavern on Eastcheap, whilst Shakespeare’s language is transformed to its highly expressive emotional poetic. In spite of once playing one of the ‘newsreaders’, (Salarino in ‘The Merchant of Venice’), I tend to struggle with the newsy or exposition bits in Shakespeare’s plays. And during that part of ‘Player Kings’, I was a little worried about whether I’d follow it. It’s oh so many years since those studies at school 😉. But, once ‘Plump Jack’ appears, slouched back in his armchair with his large, rotund belly presented to us in all its glory 😉, and Hal (Toheeb Jimoh) and fellow riotous reprobates dance around him, I knew all would be well 😊.

The captions like scene headers in a script giving us time and place in lights above the action on stage really help the audience as well, together with just a few modern expressions being allowed in. We are placed now as well as then, so to speak. This is a modern dress version of Shakespeare. For me that felt fine, but I know others disliked it. Staging-wise, I also really liked the use of the arras/curtain to change scenes - each time one or other of the performers drew the arras just enough to conceal one part of the stage, whilst doing their ‘business’, giving time for actors and props to get in place behind it, so when drawn back again, you’re in the next scene. Really simple yet really clever and effective. I also love the use of music – Countertenor singer Henry Jenkinson is exceptional in his performances of ‘I Vow to Thee My Country’ and ‘Jerusalem’ and other themes, whilst composer Laura Marling created a wonderfully haunting soundtrack to the battles and chases including – and there’s a long story around my trying to identify this lol – sections from Massive Attack’s ‘Angel’, and similar tracks.

Robert Icke’s adaptation is very Falstaff-heavy – no pun actually intended – but, I am certainly not complaining, and I think it was deliberate to really give as much meat – and maybe beloved sack – as possible for Sir Ian to use in his performance. I honestly don’t remember, Henry IV being more about Falstaff than anybody else, though Henry IV has always felt like a bit part as the titular character. Prince Harry/Hal does feel like a supporting role to Falstaff in this production, though, for me, the essence of the play was always around the future Henry V growing up and coming of age whilst facing the huge conflict of choice between his two father figures and a life of fun & frivolity or a life of serious responsibility. Toheeb Jimoh’s Harry is gently calm, whilst giving us a sense of all sorts of emotion lying beneath. His smile is so engaging and hints at secrets he might be teasing us with and he handles Shakespearean poetic language with ease. Sir Ian McKellen is exceptional, an exquisitely attentive master to every single detail of Falstaff, including all the mannerisms and bodily noises from an overweight sack-addict performed so naturally, as well as the acerbic wit, pomposity and wonderful, engaging, yet at times shocking confidences with the audience. He gives us a figure we might love to hate, which in some ways is a bit of a shame. Like my overweight, cuddly grandfather figures, I remember Falstaff as being more endearing somehow. That doesn’t in any way take from the tour de force of Ian’s phenomenally impressive performance, but does take something from the power of Hal’s rejection of him at the end. Or, could it be after all that I know the play too well. I certainly never forget – in part as my Mum used to ‘perform’ it for me – the two-chair therapy session with Falstaff playing Hal and Hal his own father the King and the lines from Falstaff, ‘… Banish Plump Jack,… and You Banish The World…’, with Hal -supposedly as Henry IV – replying ‘I do, I will’. It somehow feels actually he is speaking for himself, which takes away from the drama of what should be an emotional shock at the end. That said, Toheeb and Ian were a supreme double-act, which I will treasure having seen for the rest of my life.

I feel I have really neglected the rest of the cast of characters in this. Richard Coyle played a very serious, troubled Henry IV very well indeed. Clare Perkins was an excellent Mistress Quickly, and everyone else ably played their parts (for some actors multiple parts), but were somehow outshone by that extraordinary star presence on stage. Robert Icke’s direction did produce one shock for me. Hal discovers Falstaff on the battlefield and believes him to be dead. Hal exits, and the curtain starts to come down. I was thinking ‘Oh goodness, he really is dead… but surely not… but yes the curtain is coming down… but…’ And then Sir John-Ian Falstaff-McKellen rises up repeating one of the endearing insults Hal has piled on him thinking him gone. Just as – contrary to his own concern and worry about playing Falstaff - Sir Ian McKellen rises up as the supreme star of this production, made so clear at the final, true, curtain call. As a friend said, William Shakespeare himself would have given him a standing ovation.

PlayerKings – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2024

Hamnet – Garrick Theatre – Saturday 17th February 2024

(Rated Novel 5/5, Play 4/5) William Shakespeare had a Wife, Who caused him no Strife, By name of Agnes Hathaway, She cheered him on the right Way, To lead us to Emote, From the Plays what he Wrote! Whoops, ok, I will leave that there and refer you to the master playwright William Shakespeare for far superior witty. profound and moving rhyming – or not – Elizabethan verse and prose. However, in ‘Hamnet’ the play/novel, Will Shakespeare plays a supporting (or not, depending on how you view the story 😉) role to Agnes Hathaway, who is in fact the key character in Maggie O’Farrell’s book, and the play adaptation by Lolita Chakrabarti.

The Agnes created by O’Farrell was a herbalist and healer with ‘uncommon powers’, maybe psychic and possibly enabling her to communicate with the spirts. In the book, we are introduced from the outset to her son, the titular character Hamnet, and the story jumps around in time as we follow Agnes’ highly moving story of love with Will, the joy of children, the pain of separation from her husband while he lives in London to make his name as Queen Elizabeth I’s most famous playwright, and devastating impact of ‘the pestilence’ on her family. O’Farrell says ‘Hamnet’ is a work of imagination and that her 'idle speculation' on Shakespeare's son and the reason for his death led to this highly emotive extraordinary exploration into the possible characters/personalities of Hamnet's mother Agnes, twin sister Judith, older sister Susanna and maybe most notably his never named father! It has a lovely stream of consciousness element and wondrous exploration of love, relationships, death and grief. Above all if there is even the remotest 'factual truth' to it William Shakespeare would never have found himself without Anne Hathaway and the influence of her way of being as drawn in this book can be seen throughout all his plays. Add to that the power of the loss of their golden-haired boy and how William may have written Hamlet as a way of processing that loss... and therein lies the playwright's genius through life experience.

I loved the book, and this play not so much. For me the latter suffers a little from having to be told in chronological order, though twins Hamnet (Ajami Cabey) and Judith (Alex Jarrett) do appear on stage in the loft as though communicating to their mother Agnes (Madeleine Mantock) even before she has met their father William (Tom Varey). I think my other difficulty with it was simply we were sitting so far back, it was hard sometimes to even tell who was which character, let alone be able to explore the beauty of their facial emotional expressions. We do, however, get a strong sense of the nature of life in Stratford, and later London, at that time, and the recreation of Agnes’ affinity with nature and how she loves to be at one with it, is remarkably clear. Will is immediately struck by Agnes when he sees her flying her hawk. She is beautifully wild and free, both grounded, yet other-worldly, and of course then he falls for her. It doesn’t take them long at all to conceive their first child Susanna (Phoebe Campbell). Having put a baby in her belly. Will has little choice but to marry Agnes. For me, the play somehow gives the impression that Will was trapped into this marriage, and then held back from seeking fame and fortune by Agnes and their children. I got a totally different sense from the book, where Agnes very much encourages Will to go to London, knowing he can make more of himself than as a Latin Teacher. Meanwhile Agnes very much held everything together at home. One of the devices I loved in the play was as Agnes was in labour with them, each of the actors playing her children, gradually walked over to her and gifted her a ‘baby’ carried in their arms. As always, act 1 was the set-up, and act2 explored at far greater depth the connection between Will’s family experiences and aspects he put in his plays. Ophelia gifting herbs before she commits suicide and the witches could all have been inspired by his ‘medicine woman wife’, and twins appear in many of his plays. Again, for me though, showing that on stage, rather than expressing it in the character’s thought processes in a book, somehow take us away from Agnes and more into Will’s mind. Until, that it, the denouement. Following Hamnet’s death, Agnes travels to London and witnesses a production of ‘Hamlet’. It gave me, and clearly her too, goosebumps seeing Ajami Cabey (Hamnet) playing Hamlet “Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt…”

As far as I could see the RSC ensemble gave great performances, and it was a very good production. I think I personally am always greedy to be able to fully experience performers in all their close-up glory!

Unfortunately, as I write, this production of ‘Hamnet’ has finished, but there will always be productions of Agnes’ husband’s plays for all time, and now we have Maggie O’Farrell’s book bringing Agnes and her beloved son Hamnet to life for all time too. Hamnet – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2024

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