You expect greenery in As You Like It – Shakespeare’s characters hot foot it to the forest to find love and liberty. But Liam Bunster’s wooden stage in the RSC’s outdoor theatre is painted a beguiling aquamarine. Identity and affection are set swimming in this play, tweaked with disguises, games of gender, characters losing themselves and emerging reborn.
This summer show trims the text to a lean 80 minutes. In theory you could make bold choices; edit it into an argument. You could ditch the jester’s dud japes, for a start. But Brendan O’Hea’s production doesn’t clarify the play’s heart or heighten its fun: it feels too ordinary for the target audience of families and first timers.
