As You Like It
Creation Theatre Company, Magdalen College School Grounds until September 1st

Ben Fox (Amiens), Justin Webb (Duke Senior) and Sarah Corbett
live it up in the forest of Arden

Oxford's weather being as perpetually dreary as it is, it is lucky that there are some enticements to visit the city during the summer months. Since 1996, the Creation Theatre Company's exemplary productions in the grounds of Magdalen College School have been chief among these, combining as they do top-class acting and innovative staging with uniquely beautiful surroundings. This year's As You Like It is no exception to the rule: wonderfully accessible yet satisfyingly intelligent; packed with good ideas yet respectful of the text; this is the essence of Creation Theatre's Shakespeare.

Perhaps this As You Like It does not have as imaginative a set as some of the company's recent productions. But then the tree-lined, river-flanked stage evokes the magical Forest of Arden with very little assistance. Moreover, once the sun has set in act II the appearance of all manner of artistic lighting effects should be quite sufficient to satisfy all tastes. The expertly executed choreography, too, is splendid, and acts as a perfect visual contrast to the natural simplicity of the surroundings, as well as providing ample comic potential.

But As You Like It is, first and foremost, a comedy of words - a Shakespearean tour de force of wit and repartee, with just enough poetry and pathos to give it a satisfying depth. This is where Creation really excel, declaiming the verse with a crystal clarity and sensitivity of meaning which makes it a joy to listen to. Creation have the gift of making Shakespeare effortless to understand, allowing the play to amuse and entertain as it was intended to, as well as adding some humorous touches of their own. From among an excellent small cast, Alison Pettitt is particularly impressive as the coquettish, cross-dressing Rosalind, delivering her lines with delicate feeling and switching effortlessly from lovesick maiden to falsely sombre boy and back again. Noel White is captivatingly cynical as the enigmatic Jacques - it seemed almost cruel that so many of his lines were cut. Ben Fox as Touchstone, and Sarah Corbett as Audrey provide relief from the verbal sparring in gentle buffoonery; but the physical comedy is never allowed to take over - nothing distracts the audience from appreciation of Shakespeare's timeless wit.

The amount of music in As You Like It can pose difficulties to today's performers. To set the bard's original lines to up-beat music tends to sound absurd, while updating the lyrics can sound incongruous or even twee. Creation Theatre do not overcome these problems altogether convincingly; they do, however, provide an exemplary display of Shakespearean acting, a good opportunity to appreciate one of Shakespeare's funniest comedies, and a wonderful way to spend a summer evening in Oxford.

Matthew Rogers, 24 / 7 / 01