And there they… fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world.
— Charles, Act I Sc 1
Led by the exuberant Rosalind, lovers, villains, comedians and malcontents become entwined in a kaleidoscope of love triangles as Shakespeare effortlessly mixes the comic and the serious in the magical Forest of Arden.
As You Like It celebrates freedom in all its forms. The Abbey Shakespeare Players' 26th summer production captures the fun that ensues when a gang of eccentric exiles rolls through a series of chance encounters, in a forest for which few of them seem cut out.
As the sun sets, with live music playing and swallows flying above the ruins of St Dogmaels Abbey, is there anywhere better to witness these "most strange events"?
We that are true lovers run into strange capers; but as all is mortal in nature, so is all nature in love, mortal in folly.
— Touchstone, Act II Sc 4
Cast
Duke Senior, a banished Duke | Richard Carwardine |
Rosalind, his daughter | Mary Glynn |
Duke Frederick, brother and usurper to Senior | Richard Carwardine |
Celia, his daughter, Rosalind's cousin | Gemma Streat |
Orlando, youngest son of Sir Rowland | Ed Long |
Oliver, his eldest brother | Jonny Vaughton |
Touchstone, a jester | Joe Kao |
Le Beau, a courtier | Richard Makin |
Charles, a wrestler | Will Long |
Old Adam, Oliver's servant | Ian Wood |
Denise, Oliver's servant | Linda Kirk |
Amiens, noble exiled with Duke Senior | Dan Webster |
Jacques, noble exiled with Duke Senior | Richard Mitchley |
First Lord, noble exiled with Duke Senior | Charlie Guest |
Corin, an old shepherd | Geoffrey Summers |
Silvius, a young shepherd | Martyn Wigley |
Phebe, a proud shepherdess | Angharad Evans |
Audrey, a country wench | Emma Hall |
Sir Oliver Martext, a parson | Mike Hall |
William, a country youth | Will Long |
Hymen, goddess of marriage | Jane Morris |
Ladies in Waiting, Foresters, Pages, Puppeteers etc | Catherine Bradley, Georgina Ferry, Linda Kirk, Amy Levene, Hermione Miltiadou, Richard Morris, Beth Wardle, Claire Wardle, Felix Watson, Jaygo Watson, Matt Watson, Katie Weatherall, Molly Williams and members of the company |
Crew
Director | Henry Morris |
Composer | Richard Morris |
Lighting designer & Technical director | David Long |
Design and puppets | Amy Levene |
Technical assistant | Dominic Hargreaves |
Best boy | William Martin |
Wardrobe | Amy Levene and Penny Miltiadou |
Props | Penny Miltiadou, Hermione Miltiadou |
Fight arranger | Ed Long |
Poster design | Amy Levene |
Front of House | Jane Hall, Sue Jones, Janet Paynter, Christine Pickthorne, Molly Williams |
Set | Robert Fitzmartin & Henry VIII |
Music
Keyboard and repetiteur | Henry Ward |
Drum, guitar & voice | Dan Webster |
Horn | Amy Levene |
Voices | Charlie Guest, Will Long, Richard Makin, Richard Mitchley, Jane Morris, Richard Morris, Beth Wardle, Katie Weatherall, Dan Webster and members of the company |