As You Like It, Oxford Theatre Guild, Trinity College Gardens

Any production of this particular play stands or falls on the casting of Rosalind/Ganymede. Certainly the longest female role in Shakespeare and, in many ways, the most demanding, it is one that is always hotly contested at auditions. It offers so much scope for characterisation and nuance; it is easy to see why so many aspire to play it. Jessica Clare Bridge gives a competent, if somewhat passive, account of Rosalind but does not seem to bring out what I would describe as the playful side of her male alter-ego Ganymede. This transition is always a hard one to judge but I felt that on the evidence of the opening performance, this Ganymede was a little rushed and not as much of a game player as the text would suggest. It is by no means a bad performance – just one that needs further development. Perhaps the most famous lines from the play are uttered by Jaques – here given a precise and delicate performance by Colin Burnie. Burnie knows well how to bring out the texture and meaning from the verse and makes good use of the famous lines. Touchstone – one of Shakespeare’s more tricky clowns – is given a strong rendition by Paul Tosio who brings a vitality that I have not seen before in this particular role. His inventive adoption of the character of a US evangelical preacher in the Act 3 scene with Corin is one of the highlights of the production. Much of the humour in the play is to be found in the scenes with the country folk. This production makes much of Silvius (here a Lennon-esque hippy played with gusto by Tim Bearder), Phebe and Audrey – they have an energy, physicality and broad humour which sets the apart from the rest of the characters. The cast, on the whole, is made up of people who understand their characters and imbue them with life and passion. Any open air performance – whether amateur or professional – needs to pay careful attention to clarity and diction. All too often I have attended productions where too many words are lost. I know it is hard to battle the elements, church bells and passing traffic – but it is a shame when details that were crystal clear in the rehearsal room fail to translate to the outdoor site. There are cast members in this production who have no problems in making every syllable count (Tim Younger as Oliver is a perfect exemplar of an actor who can always be heard) and there are those who have yet to make the necessary adjustments to their projection. Again this will improve as the run continues. It has long been my belief that As You Like It is much more of a thoughtful play than it might appear on first reading. The central characters are dealing with themes of loss and dislocation amidst an atmosphere of the threat of violence. This can sit uneasily with the bucolic antics of the rustics. Bringing these elements together is a challenge than few productions achieve with total success. I am not sure that this production is one that can truly be said to have found an answer. It is, nevertheless, an entertaining way to spend an evening in the delightful setting of an Oxford College Garden. Oxford Theatre Guild have nothing to fear from the professional companies who also stage Shakespeare in the city – they more than hold their own and the audiences will be well rewarded for their attention.

Simon Tavener Whatsonstage - Central

| What is the Guild | Recent Productions | Workshop On Theatre | Contact Us | History | Web Links | Guild News |

| Home | Current Production

 
Bpath Counter