AS YOU LIKE IT | Theatre

Review of As You Like It, starring Jonathan Groff, at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, October 2026.

Last weekend I had my first visit to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, and I have a feeling it won’t be my last. In fact, As You Like It might just be the best Shakespeare production I’ve ever seen. Had I not seen RENT the previous week, I’d probably be calling it the best piece of live theatre I’ve seen all year.

I’m told As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays, and I can see why. It’s a comedy, it’s relatively easy to follow, and there is plenty of humour throughout. That doesn’t mean it’s simple, though. Like all good Shakespeare, there is far more going on beneath the surface than first appears. If you want to look, that is.

The story follows Rosalind (Jonathan Groff), who is banished from court by her uncle Duke Frederick (Gary Wilmot) and flees to the Forest of Arden with her devoted cousin Celia (Fisayo Akinade). Disguising herself as a young man for safety, Rosalind finds herself reunited with Orlando (Elliot Barnes-Worrell), the man she has fallen in love with, while crossing paths with a wonderfully varied collection of shepherds, nobles, fools and wanderers, including the melancholy Jaques (Richard McCabe) and the irrepressible Touchstone (Greg Haiste). What follows is a tangled and often hilarious exploration of love, identity, friendship, belonging and what it means to be yourself.

Shakespeare in an American Accent

This production embraces the play’s origins with an all-male cast, as would have been the case in Shakespeare’s day. It could have felt like a gimmick in less capable hands, but here it simply worked. The cast approached it with such confidence and joy that any novelty quickly disappeared, leaving the audience free to enjoy the story.

The performances were quite simply excellent throughout. Groff and Wilmot may be the names I recognised first, but this felt very much like an ensemble production – they were all superb.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed was that the actors retained their own accents – American, English, Welsh (to generalise). We’re so used to hearing Shakespeare performed in a polished ‘classic’ theatre voice that it was refreshing to hear the text delivered in ways that felt completely natural. Far from distracting from the language, it seemed to make it more immediate and accessible. On a more thoughtful level, the different voices created a wonderfully inclusive atmosphere that felt completely in tune with the play’s themes of acceptance, freedom and finding a place where you can simply be yourself.

The beautiful close-harmony singing, inspired by the Welsh male voice choir tradition, deserves a special mention too. In fact, it sets up one particular moment towards the end that was about as far from Shakespeare as I could imagine. I won’t spoil it, because the surprise is part of the joy, but the audience reaction alone was worth the ticket price. Hilarious.

The Forest of Arden

I’m really learning to appreciate good set design. The production begins with a stark, white, empty stage. Very plain and simple. But as the story moves into the Forest of Arden (and I don’t think this is considered a spoiler as I’ve seen loads of photos online), the stage transforms into something quite extraordinary. What starts as minimal becomes lush, layered and full of life. By the end, the stage feels almost magical. Watching that transformation unfold was one of the highlights of the evening. I mean, the grass looked so real! If I’d been sitting in the stalls, I would have certainly gone to touch it.

Earlier in the play, the team also delivered one of the most unexpected stage pictures I’ve seen in a long while thanks to the sudden appearance of a bath, complete with bubbles. Quite some work in a blackout, there. Another moment that made the whole audience smile together.

Effortless Shakespeare

As You Like It, which is towards the end of a six-week run (it closes on 7 November), is being performed in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, one of several RSC venues in Stratford-upon-Avon and one of two theatres housed within the famous riverside building. I was sat in Row B of the Circle, in the centre section, which turned out to be an excellent seat. The view was superb, allowing me to appreciate both the performances and the scale of the staging, although I do fancy a front-row stalls trip to the RSC at some point.

There was a real sense of fun throughout. The comedy landed beautifully, the audience were entirely with the performers, and the whole production felt full of warmth and generosity.

Perhaps what impressed me most was how effortless it all felt. Shakespeare can sometimes feel like homework, or at the very least require some preparation, even when you’re enjoying it. This didn’t. The story flowed, the characters felt real, and before I knew it I was completely absorbed. More than anything, this production trusted the audience to have fun.

Sometimes a production reminds you why certain plays have endured for centuries. This was one of those productions. And for my first visit to the RSC, I really couldn’t have asked for more.

As You Like It at the RSC

P.S. My friend and I spent part of the afternoon on the RSC’s costume tour before the performance, and honestly, it was an hour of absolute delight. Walking through the costume department and costume store, learning about the people, skills and processes behind the costumes seen on stage, was fascinating. I came away with an even greater appreciation for the amount of talent and craftsmanship involved in putting on an RSC production. If you’re visiting Stratford, I’d definitely recommend it.