Review Roundup: All-Male AS YOU LIKE IT Opens at the RSC, Starring Jonathan Groff

The Royal Shakespeare Company just celebrated opening night of Daniel Evans’ production of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

Daniel Evans directs an all-male cast, including Fisayo Akinade (Celia), Elliot Barnes-Worrell (Orlando), Giles Cooper (Le Beau), Jamal Franklin (Ensemble), Jonathan Groff (Rosalind), Greg Haiste (Touchstone), Steffan Harri (Gwilym/Syr Osian), Steffan Hughes (Ensemble/Vocal Captain), Rhys Parry Jones (Corin/Hymen/a Lord at Court/a Lord in Arden), Edward Judge (Charles the Wrestler/Silvius), Gareth Kennerley (First Lord in Arden/Ensemble), Luke McCall (Amiens), Richard McCabe (Jaques), Tim Preston (Phoebe/a Lord at Court), Caleb Roberts (Oliver), Gareth Snook (Adam/Audrey) and Gary Wilmot (Duke Frederick/Duke Senior).

Rosalind is banished from the court of Duke Frederick – but not before she and young Orlando fall for each other. Seeking out her exiled father in the Forest of Arden with her devoted cousin Celia, Rosalind disguises herself as a young man, Ganymede. In fear of his own life, Orlando also escapes to the forest and soon runs into Ganymede, who pledges to cure his lovesickness. But in order to do so, Orlando has to woo her… or rather, he has to woo ‘him’. Then the games commence.

Let's see what the critics are saying...

Photo Credit: Marc Brenner

Helen Shaw, New York Times: Even without the unifying fear of collapse, though, I expect that Evans and his super ensemble maintain their dazzling sense of common delight. This is a group moving perfectly in concert, as elegantly balanced as dancers. Perhaps the finest scene of the night is the four-way confessional of love between the goofy forest local Silvius (Edward Judge), his love-object Phoebe, her love-object Rosalind, and her love-object Orlando. “Tell this youth what ’tis to love,” demands Phoebe. “It is to be all made of sighs and tears,” Silvius replies.

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian: The all-male casting brings depth and subtlety of meaning, proving ingenious rather than gimmicky, simultaneously nostalgic and of the moment: a nod to the Elizabethan age when boys and men played female parts, yet now more queer and transgressive. The love between Orlando (Elliot Barnes-Worrell) and Rosalind’s disguised male alter ego, Ganymede, stays rather superficial, but the homoeroticism is more effective in their quieter moments, when Groff almost prowls with desire. He is at his best when he is overtly performative – a male actor playing a woman (Rosalind) who is playing a man (Ganymede) – and makes it work without resorting to outright camp.

Clive Davis, The Times: More than an hour passed before the actors returned to the stage, cheered on by an audience that was clearly anxious to see more of Jonathan Groff’s winningly vulnerable Rosalind. This was, remarkably enough, the American star’s Shakespearean debut. Although his delivery was overly brisk at times, he settled into the role, darting vampish glances in all directions as the romantic complications piled up. Like Tom Hiddleston in Jamie Lloyd’s party animal reworking of Much Ado about Nothing in the West End, Groff exudes easygoing charisma. And while the women here tend to be confections viewed through a queer lens, there’s genuine electricity between Groff and Elliot Barnes-Worrell’s Orlando in the climactic scenes.

Sarah Crompton, WhatsOnStage: Groff is superb in his Shakespearean debut, eyes flashing both with merriment and righteous indignation, taking the verse with astonishing speed and verve. His Rosalind is clever, proud and commanding, always in charge. There’s a glorious moment when the production takes a line about her accent – Groff is speaking in his native American – and turns it into a joke; ironically, given his Tony Award-winning success on Broadway as a musical star, he doesn’t get to sing but all his charisma is channelled into a quicksilver portrayal.

Dave Fargnoli, The Stage: Giving Shakespeare’s frothy bucolic romance a bold, visually arresting presentation and an all-male cast, director Daniel Evans’ ambitious production is unafraid to take risks. And despite significant technical issues on press night, the result is warm, earnest and unabashedly entertaining.

Philip Gooden, Stage Talk Magazine: There was a very extended glitch on the Press Night at Stratford when the great white backdrop jammed in its ascent and prevented the emergence of the Forest of Arden. The audience, I’m happy to say, showed British phlegm and patience and greeted the eventual resumption of the action with applause and cheers. They did likewise with a standing ovation at the conclusion of this thoroughly interesting and idiosyncratic production of As You Like It.

Average Rating: 81.7%