REVIEW: As You Like It
- Michael DiGuglielmo (they/them)
- Mar 10
- 2 min read
It’s all about framing with Shakespeare’s plays. Set designers and directors need to find a unique, engaging way to take the Bard’s work and put a spin on it that speaks with a fresh, original voice. The stage, the set pieces, the overall atmosphere, be it minimalist or maximalist - these are the things that will separate a good show from an amazing one.
I don’t want to squeeze the actors out of this who - believe me - will absolutely get their due praise soon, but I think the thing that told me I was in for a memorable night before the show had even really started was how iconic the set looked. The actors and the stage all shared this kitschy, antique-retro-meets-seventies vibe that I was in love with. It perfectly matched what I see as one of Shakespeare’s funniest and most absurd works, As You Like It.
The absurdity of this comedy-upon-comedy of errors, married with the hugely compelling performances of Jade Fuda, Larissa Turton, Pat Mandziy, and just about every player on the scene at any time, has made this a show you do not want to miss out on.
As You Like It is performed best when the actors understand the tonal balance here is not really a balance at all. There are dark moments - plenty of them, in fact - where the conditions that force people to cross dress or cross-class or cross-dress-and-class are at play - namely the vacating of troublesome courts and evil brothers - but the greatest emphasis in a show like this should be on the fluid identities of the cast, and the comedy this creates.
I think that this raunchy, rowdy, utterly oddball take on As You Like It is a perfect compliment to Shakespeare’s original text. Director Alex Kendall Robson has done an exceptional job taking this cast of highly talented individuals and putting a kitschy spin on it that’s like nothing before it’s time.
If you’re looking for a night of fun laughs with some truly bright stars in the Aussie theatre scene, this is the show for you.
Check out As You Like It now until March 14th at Flight Path Theatre
