'as you like it' at the RSC and my ageing brother…

It’s my lovely brother’s 70^th birthday next month and so, as one of the activities for his ‘Birthday Festival’, we went to the RSC at Stratford to see Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’ (directed by Omar Elerian).
Somewhat fittingly (I’ll pretend it was all part of my cunning plan), the current production featured actors who were 70+ years (as well as four young, talented actors at the beginning of their careers) and focussed on age and the ageing process in general… and with lots of humour. Rediscovering the themes of freedom and love from the perspective of older age.
 
This was a somewhat different version of the play: Set in a rehearsal room, the cast are presented as gathering to remember a production they created when young (back in 1978). Reflecting on the memories – both happy and sad – and the wonder of it all. There’s something rather wonderful about acknowledged performers in the ‘later stages’ of their careers being able to demonstrate their undoubted skills and experience while enjoying the camaraderie of the past, while performing roles written for actors 50 years their juniors! It’s all played out with lots of humour – the ‘fight scenes’, for example, being little more than awkward grappling as opponents readily acknowledged that they ‘couldn’t do it anymore’!
The quality of the acting was predictably high and, in particular, I was really impressed with the performances of Geraldine James (Rosalind) and Malcolm Sinclair (Orlando) – and I thought GJ was looking rather wonderful for a 72 year-old! – capturing the innocent of excitement of first love.
The play is also about memories – both happy and sad – the people we love; the things we recall; the things we’ve forgotten; the places we’ve seen; the things we might have done; the things we have achieved; the wonder of it all… and, of course, the things still to come.
But, what about the Forest of Arden? The audience is left with imagining the forest until the very end, when the forest was revealed in all its glory. The only disappointment for me about this dramatic scene was that the cast spoke their words from the very back of the stage AND with their backs to the audience – which made audibility less than ideal (I’m sure I wasn’t the only audience member to think this). Fortunately, this was followed by Rosalind’s rather beautiful adapted epilogue (performed facing the audience!) endorsing love at all ages.
But, as ever for me, what I REALLY love about theatre is the ‘live performance’ of it all… what you’re seeing is a one-off… the excitement, the uncertainty, the promise and the drama of it all.
I REALLY enjoyed this production… an absolute treat.
Photo (copyright RSC): Geraldine James (Rosalind) and Malcolm Sinclair (Orlando).