★★★★☆
It’s not the first time I’ve been in Mully’s for a UCL Shakespeare production, but it was definitely the first time I’ve seen it turned into a forest. Thanks to the set design by Holly Bain, Liyana Ahmed and Grace Lashbrook, poster-wrapped pillars became tree trunks, little mushrooms and a tree stump could be seen on stage, shimmer curtains and fairy lights covered the wall. Suddenly Mully’s had more woodland whimsy to it. Such charm and playfulness was a great match for a production that embraced the campiness of As You Like It.
Maia Avery as Rosalind was quite simply, incredible. She carried the romantic comedy with ease and balance, culminating in a final moment that completely held the room. After the marriage scene, when she took the moment to reflect and delivered the epilogue, you could feel the audience hanging onto every word.
Orlando’s (Nicholas Bushara) earnestness was endearing, particularly when he writes silly love poems for Rosalind, claiming the trees to be the witness of his undying love.
Ren Harcourt deserves praise for multi-rolling between Duke Senior and Duke Frederick. The switches were clear and sharp, especially in such an intimate space. It’s always a joy to watch an actor have control over such differences.
Eurus Ng as Touchstone was flamboyant and impossible to miss, with spiked hair slicked with an ample amount of gel and a sun painted boldly across their face. Touchstone, despite his vulgar humour, annoyed me particularly in his treatment of Audrey. Love him or dislike him, Touchstone was memorable.
And then there was Charles, sock puppet turned wrestler. Orlando sure got socked in the face, only for Charles to meet a tragic end. No amount of CPR from Denis (Carlos Rangel Outeda) could revive him. A fallen hero indeed.
However, the forest truly came alive thanks to the ensemble. The musical scenes in Arden were a standout. Combined with strong physicality and stylised movement, the ensemble made the forest feel chaotic, exactly as it should be. Charcuterie boards were shared, the ukulele was played, and the ensemble’s energy transformed the forest into a living presence. They tied everything together beautifully, particularly with the Phoebe-Ganymede-Silvius debacle. Phoebe’s (Sofia Prudencio) failed raunchy attempts at seducing Rosalind disguised as Ganymede had everybody in splits. As an audience member briefly transformed into a dead deer (yes, I had an antler headband bestowed on me) I felt oddly spiritually aligned with the melancholy Jacques played by David Arisa. We definitely connected in mourning.
Every character was memorable, the sex jokes were in plenty, and the costumes by Yuki Li and Jannike Prins (I want Celia’s skirts) were delightful. Audrey Lau and Sofia Masondo’s As You Like It was vibrant and full of heart, and it was proof that Shakespearean comedy thrives when you let it run wild, even in a student bar.