As You Like It - RSC 2023

[oxfordsimon]

Anyone else seen it yet?

Just back from press night and really unsure what I think about it.

Some very good performances but still uncertain what the director was hoping audiences would take away from the experience

[kate8]

The reviews seem pretty good - all 4 stars from what I’ve seen so far. Looking forward to this, although mainly because I’m intrigued by the idea of the older cast. Is there a framing device to explain their ages?

[oxfordsimon]

It is set in a rehearsal room hosting a reunion of a cast who worked together on a production in 1978

There are a few young actors to fill in the parts for actors no longer available

[cirque]

EW today left the building
So pleased

[lynette]

Looking forward to some sparkling enunciation.

[oxfordsimon]

Jun 30, 2023 23:20:54 GMT lynette said:

Looking forward to some sparkling enunciation.

It is more their understanding of the text that is noteworthy. It shows that you really can't fake it.

[Deleted]

Nice way they got round having the older cast and didn't play it age blind. A few years back Martin Jarvis, Nigel Havers did a production of the Importance of Being Ernest and did a prelude it was a local rep company as the actors were in their 60's/70's.

[Jan]

Jun 27, 2023 22:50:18 GMT oxfordsimon said:

Anyone else seen it yet?

Just back from press night and really unsure what I think about it.

Some very good performances but still uncertain what the director was hoping audiences would take away from the experience

It seems very few people here saw this. Likewise the previous Tempest production which had good reviews. I would have seen both had they been playing in rep in Stratford or had transferred to London but it is not cost or time effective for me to go there for a single production. EW sold these one-off productions on the basis that it would let them concentrate on the individual plays or some such waffle. I imagine the real reason was cost as they could minimise the cost of the company of actors they needed. I wonder if that has been a successful model for them - what have attendances been like ?

[bram]

very well performed but found the ending puzzling

[oxfordsimon]

Aug 11, 2023 10:59:09 GMT bram said:

very well performed but found the ending puzzling

I saw it as them stepping back into the past

But it could have been something more along the lines of them going off into the unknown, embracing their mortality

Ambiguity is fine.

It was a lot of expense for a few moments!

[cavocado]

I saw this, thought it was pretty good. I loved the ending - gradually the older actors' play merged with the voices of their younger selves and the much more magical scenery from their (fictional) original production opening up at the back of the stage. I assume Rosalind's wedding costume was also meant to be from the original production. I thought it was an interesting commentary on memory and nostalgia. It made me feel quite sad about how our younger selves are part of us but also completely inaccessible.

The thing that spoiled it for me was far too much joking about their ages and lots of wink-wink humour every time youth and beauty were mentioned. Fine to have a bit of that, but there was so much that I felt like they didn't have confidence that we could accept these older actors as the younger characters. I found it too intrusive and it made it hard to get absorbed in the play.

So it didn't entirely work for me, but I liked the concept and what they were trying to do, and it was nice to see a company of actors who all spoke clearly and were a joy to listen to.

Re Jan 's q about attendance, I went to a Saturday matinee and it looked almost sold out, but those are the easiest performances for day trips. Hoping the new ADs' scheduling will mean a return to being able to see 3 plays on an overnight trip.

[oxfordsimon]

It wasn't full on press night and they were ticket offers throughout.

I really do think the lack of rep playing is hurting