It occurred to me this evening that open-air plays are as synonymous with Oxford summers as punting on the Cherwell. The Oxford Shakespeare Company (OSC) has staged the Bard’s (and others') plays in Wadham College Gardens since 2002. The beautiful grounds make a wonderful setting for this year’s offering, the ever-popular comedy, As You Like It. This is a promenade production which involves the audience sitting on the grass (or if you are early, on one of the wooden benches) for the first 15 minutes, with the college buildings making an excellent backdrop for Duke Frederick’s court, and moving to seats in an emerald glade for the rest of the play. 

Accompanied by live music (composed by Nicholas Lloyd Webber), the company ensemble, mostly in monochrome formal wear, treats us to a highly-stylised dance / mime entrance routine. I assume the clockwork-type movement of the characters is designed to imbue a sense of regimentation within the court of the dictator-duke who had banished his brother Ferdinand and usurped power. The scene establishes the closeness of cousins Celia and Rosalind, Frederick’s and Ferdinand’s respective daughters. In tightly-tailored, voluminous silver and black dresses, the women, one dark-haired and one blonde, make a beautifully contrasting pair. They each appear smitten by Orlando (David Alwyn), who wins a wrestling match with Charles (the first of a few episodes where audience participation through clapping or cheering is encouraged) and the heart of Rosalind.

To shortcut the plot, many characters end up in the Forest of Arden including: the exiled Duke Ferdinand; banished Rosalind, disguised as a boy, Ganymede, accompanied by Celia disguised as Aliena, a shepherdess; Touchstone, the court jester; and Orlando fleeing from his threatening brother, Oliver. On moving to the Forest of Arden, we are also introduced to a motley crew in latter-day hippy attire. While Rebecca Tanwen is impressive as Rosalind from the outset with her poise and clear line delivery, she is particularly winsome as Ganymede, firstly appearing in riding clothes, and with just the right amount of swagger. She is well supported by Charlotte Hamlin as the loyal Celia and the well-spoken David Alwyn is charming as the love-lorn Orlando. 

Oliver’s line, ‘Twas I but ‘tis not I’, could apply to the versatility of the cast; several play instruments and all sing! With only eight players, this company creates a diverse range of well-developed individual characters. The two dukes are nicely played by David Shelley; Rosalind Steele turns in a virtuoso performance as a commanding Madame La Belle, the bucolic Phoebe, and a simpering, reverential accordion-playing Mistress Olivia Martext; Alexander McWilliams convincingly portrays Oliver, the melancholic Jacques and bruiser Charles; George Haynes grabs show-stealing moments as the gormless, downbeat shepherd Silvius as well as a highly-entertaining animated turn as feisty, dimwit Audrey; Rob Witcomb relishes his role as Adam and Touchstone (the latter’s scenes with Audrey and Olivia Martext are particularly entertaining).

There can be a tendency to go OTT with slapstick and gimmicks with Shakespeare nowadays but I believe this production of As You Like It achieves a nice balance of delivering a coherent yet entertaining piece of theatre. Whether playing the rustic or the royal, the actors articulate clearly. As expected, with a Shakespeare comedy, there is reconciliation as brothers quash grievances and characters pair off at the end. The traditional wedding scene is enhanced with pretty dresses for Celia and Rosalind. Yet, the epilogue leaves enough wriggle room to decide for ourselves what we really make of the play’s power and gender games. Additional bonuses in Michael Oakley’s well-directed production include Adrian Lillie’s costume design (‘Good Vibes’!) and the informative programme which includes some quotes and Jacques’ famous ‘All the world’s a stage’ speech. If you have never been to an outdoor Shakespeare in Oxford, I recommend you start with this one. Oh, and if you are over eighteen, you may like to try a Pimm’s at the interval!