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Post by Lorannah on Aug 6, 2010 22:48:58 GMT
Headed back to see this again on Tuesday, partly to take a friend of mine and partly because it was my favourite last year (though mostly because I'm obsessive. Firstly here are my friend, Whichways comments from another, slightly confused, post: As with many of the plays the second half rumps along at a fine breath taking pace, waking you up from the stuper you may well have fallen into during the slower first act. To ad to this we had the unusual aspect of some fine shakespearean ad lib. As we wear given more than the normal amount of undergarment from Audrey. A wonderful evening all in all. Forgot to mention the before and after, rather nice to find cast singing Bob Dylan outside the venue on the way in and out. With the addition of street decoration to. Extending the stage beyond the walls of the theatre a great idea Have to agree with him on a lot of the points. Have always loved the way they carried on the performance outside the theatre, extending it with the poetry. I think it adds a spark of magic. So I love that with Jonjo busking takes that to another level. I can't remember what he was singing when we left, but it was Dylan's 'Maggie's Farm' as we arrived and Jonjo was accompanied by a sign saying 'It's not about the money." I love the message that sends you in with and what it says about Orlando, it sums up a lot of things about the character - the way he's not angry because he needs the money, it's all about his principles. The first time I saw the play, I saw Charles Aitken in the role who was also excellent but it meant when I saw Jonjo what struck me first was how angry his Orlando is, it is spilling out all over and it's one of the things I love most about his portrayal. Everything about him is so visceral and it makes his later joy and softness sweeter. I must admit I was a little distracted this time round, it felt like a lot had changed to me but I couldn't remember it clearly enough to be certain what. I was so busy trying to work it all out that I wasn't as lost in the story as I normally am, which might be partly why the first half felt slower to me this time than I remember. Can anyone tell me, when Duke Frederick banishes Rosalind did they used to be wearing their dark dresses still? I wasn't sure. Now they're in white night dresses, which I liked a lot either way - it makes them seem younger, more playful and again heightens the shock. It felt like there was more greenery as well after the interval, which worked to make me feel like time had passed. Not sure whether it was intentional but the queer themes within the play also seemed to have been brought out more - a couple of same sex kisses but also the relationship between Rosalind and Celia felt strengthened and if I'd had my slash glasses on I might even have been seeing frisson between Oliver and Charles. Lots of messing with gender and sexuality, which I thought was cool. Not sure how I feel about the change to the dance at the end, there were bits I liked but I think I preferred the ribbon dance better - it felt more climatic and involved the audience more. I'd forgotten how pretty Katy's voice is, which is a lovely way to close the show. There are also some new touches to the half-time show but I don't want to spoil it. Hil-bloody-arious. As for the ad-libbing - one of my favourite things in the performance was Sophie Russell as Audrey accidentally flashing the front row of the audience her knickers - much to her instant horror, Richard Katz rushed to her rescue (or added to the embarrassment depending on your outlook), messing around and the audience and most of the cast were in hysterics for a few minutes. I always love it when things go wrong.  May think of more to add later, but have definitely said enough for now Loved it. |
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Post by Queen Mab on Aug 6, 2010 23:47:02 GMT
Will respond fully later, but yes they were in the black dresses. See the video on RSC website (it's been linked on AYLI's page along with production photos etc - Rosalind & Orlando's exchange is up too).
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Post by shelikeswaves on Aug 9, 2010 16:38:25 GMT
(Saw it on Saturday, loved it. This is copypasta'd over from my LJ; apologies for excessive capslock, any sentences derailed by flail etc)
You can't have a great AYLI without a great Rosalind; luckily, Katy Stephens is wonderful. She's got a really rich timbre to her voice, I love her physicality (shoulder punches! Hip shimmies!), she can think and speak at the speed of light, she's charming and sparky and engaging. Also, it sounds like a silly thing to mention but I really loved her hair-acting - tying it up and shaking it loose, it was splendid and a lovely character note. I'm so glad I finally got to see her in something; I've wanted to ever since I was consumed with Histories-envy, but, let's be honest, my RSC priorities re: this ensemble have been SEE THINGS WITH SAM TROUGHTON IN.
I think I am forever doomed to compare all Orlandos to Jack Laskey at the Globe last year (because he is brilliant), which isn't entirely fair. So much of what I love about his performance stems from the decision that production makes about how Orlando reacts to the kiss - not that he isn't a delight in his own right, because he absolutely is - so if another production doesn't go that route then it eliminates a massive chunk of what the character can do, and how the actor can act and react. It's not a level playing field. That said, I really enjoyed Jonjo O'Neill, who is ridiculously good as Mercutio in R&J. Orlando's opening rant, which is really a bit of a thankless task, is a pretty good barometer of how I'm going to like the rest of the performance; O'Neill is convincingly young, bitter and frustrated but not letting that control him, still engagingly vital and determined. I told myself I wasn't going to rant about Christian Carmago again, so I won't. I'll just say that some people know how to stage fight convincingly; my mum got spattered with blood, she was thrilled. The Orlando/Rosalind(/Ganymede) relationship was nicely played; I didn't even have to bitch about The Kiss Of Recognition That Wasn't because they don't kiss at the fake wedding at all. It's nigh-on impossible to go ORLANDO YOU IDIOT when he's picking her up and twirling her around and accidentally straddling her in a big pile of twigs. Plus we got a lovely bit of sexual confusion/general young man lustiness (I'm assuming - Courtyard, I love so much about the things you choose to be but Jonjo's back was to me for the vital moment!) when, immediately after "I can live no longer by thinking," Orlando plants one on Ganymede. Plus, y'know, Jonjo O'Neill strumming a guitar high up in a gorgeous advent calendar of a set is a pretty nice image on which to break for the interval.
Mariah Gale as Celia was really interesting. She had great chemistry with Stephens; very nicely in-tune with each other, although not, alas, overtly shippy (OBLIG: Romola Garai in the Kenneth Branagh film owns my soul a little bit). She's a very sharp observer, and at times I felt like Celia was motivated more by envy (of the life/love experience variety, rather than the I'm-pining-for-my-cousin sort) than anything else. She initially shows interest in Orlando (Rosalind steps in front of her), and there's real anger behind her "You have simply misused our sex". Of course, this is immediately followed by a trippy dream sequence in which Celia is chased around by dudes holding antlers bellowing "THE HORN, THE HORN, THE LUSTY HORN", and then she meets Oliver. It was an interpretation that hadn't struck me before, and I really liked it.
Sometimes it can feel like AYLI is overloaded with Fools, with both Touchstone and Jacques offering commentary. Again, since the Bridge Project I suspect I'm going to be suffering from ALL THE TOUCHSTONES NEED TO BE THOMAS SADOSKI syndrome (it's a thing! YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE) for a while, but Richard Katz, who's so good as Capulet (GOD I LOVE THE ENSEMBLE), was awesome in an entirely different way. His Touchstone comes on in a straightjacket, and spends most of the play with his legs buckled together; it seems an arbitrary comic touch until he pulls a rifle on the Duke. Forbes Masson's Jacques was also unexpected; curiously, it is he, rather than Amiens, who sings the songs (beautifully, by the by), thereby shifting the way in which Jacques sets himself apart from the rest of the group. His detachment is hardly ironic; with his wide eyes, wild hair, and vivid blue costume, he makes a very striking figure. I really enjoyed Charles Aitken's Oliver aussi; he was adorably curly-headed and vaguely gleefully camp in his early villainy, and very sweet later on. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he makes of Edgar.
I don't think you can argue that AYLI is one of Shakespeare's best-written plays, but the more I see it the fonder of it I become. The design was beautiful, the acting great, the music lovely (ach, Katy Stephens' epilogue!), the joy pretty much infectious. Lovely stuff.
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Post by danielwhit on Aug 9, 2010 18:16:28 GMT
I don't think you can argue that AYLI is one of Shakespeare's best-written plays, but the more I see it the fonder of it I become. The design was beautiful, the acting great, the music lovely (ach, Katy Stephens' epilogue!), the joy pretty much infectious. Lovely stuff. I saw it last year - with Mariah on as Rosalind. One of the few pieces of text from the play I knew before seeing it was the Epilogue, and noticed that she started changing things about. For one - I don't think the Bard's original contained the line "nor do you expect to see an understudy playing Rosalind" (paraphrasing). Wonder why - either she forgot the lines, which I'd be surprised if she did as she didn't stumble in the rest of the play, or there was some kind of in-joke going on. Does Rosalind break into song for the epilogue? If not, that's another thing which she changed. |
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Post by Lorannah on Aug 10, 2010 11:59:15 GMT
I think I am forever doomed to compare all Orlandos to Jack Laskey at the Globe last year (because he is brilliant), which isn't entirely fair. So much of what I love about his performance stems from the decision that production makes about how Orlando reacts to the kiss - not that he isn't a delight in his own right, because he absolutely is - so if another production doesn't go that route then it eliminates a massive chunk of what the character can do, and how the actor can act and react. It's not a level playing field. Must say after my visit last night for Henry VIII I can see myself getting quite enamoured of The Globe and am sad at the productions I've missed and am feeling very intrigued at what decision about the kiss the production made. I've got to say I loved reading this review, you use beautifully descriptive language and I agree with an awful lot of what you're saying. |
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Post by Lorannah on Aug 10, 2010 12:07:17 GMT
I saw it last year - with Mariah on as Rosalind. One of the few pieces of text from the play I knew before seeing it was the Epilogue, and noticed that she started changing things about. For one - I don't think the Bard's original contained the line "nor do you expect to see an understudy playing Rosalind" (paraphrasing). Wonder why - either she forgot the lines, which I'd be surprised if she did as she didn't stumble in the rest of the play, or there was some kind of in-joke going on. Does Rosalind break into song for the epilogue? If not, that's another thing which she changed. The first time I ever saw the ensemble was the As You Like It understudy performance (I had very mixed up ideas of who were the stars of the ensemble for a while there  ). Thought Mariah was very good - though it was Sophie Russell (Celia), James Trahearne (Touchstone) and James Howard (Jacques) who really impressed me. On to your question - Rosalind's epilogue is always sung in this production, but I think the RSC generally aren't adverse to a little ad-libbing as long as it matches the tone. I've seen some great little changes when things have gone wrong. The very first show I saw, Loves Labours Lost - David Tennant threw his hat onto a branch (to a round of applause I think) and quipped "Every night... from now." |
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Post by Queen Mab on Aug 10, 2010 12:35:15 GMT
Must say after my visit last night for Henry VIII I can see myself getting quite enamoured of The Globe and am sad at the productions I've missed and am feeling very intrigued at what decision about the kiss the production made. I believe (as shelikeswaves will no doubt emphatically suggest you do) that you can buy a video of said As You Like It. She'll also point out Jamie Parker's forearms. The very first show I saw, Loves Labours Lost - David Tennant threw his hat onto a branch (to a round of applause I think) and quipped "Every night... from now." You're very lucky. That happened a total of twice in the entire run. David quite often broke character for a second, once in Hamlet he threw the recorder at Peter de Jersey, who missed catching it & it fell onto the floor in bits. David walked over, tutted, picked one up and passed it to him, remarking "it was a good throw!" and then swiftly carried on with the scene. Ahh I remember last night in London was especially amusing. Patrick Stewart nearly corpsed in one scene. |
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Post by Lorannah on Aug 10, 2010 12:53:13 GMT
I believe (as shelikeswaves will no doubt emphatically suggest you do) that you can buy a video of said As You Like It. She'll also point out Jamie Parker's forearms. Oooh.... might have to buy that. Are the Globe DVDs usually good? Really wish the RSC would do the same. Don't worry I have been counting my lucky stars ever since you told me. On the topic of corpsing, have to say I was very impressed that during the flashing incident, when the vast majority of the cast were in stitches, Forbes managed not to even crack a smile. Bless his professionalism. |
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Post by Queen Mab on Aug 10, 2010 13:09:24 GMT
Don't worry I have been counting my lucky stars ever since you told me. On the topic of corpsing, have to say I was very impressed that during the flashing incident, when the vast majority of the cast were in stitches, Forbes managed not to even crack a smile. Bless his professionalism. Well I should hope so, a giggling Jaques just would not do! |
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Post by Lorannah on Aug 10, 2010 13:38:15 GMT
Don't worry I have been counting my lucky stars ever since you told me. On the topic of corpsing, have to say I was very impressed that during the flashing incident, when the vast majority of the cast were in stitches, Forbes managed not to even crack a smile. Bless his professionalism. Well I should hope so, a giggling Jaques just would not do! Yep, would have somewhat destroyed the characterisation he'd built up to that point. Particularly with the big departure scene still to go. |
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Post by Queen Mab on Aug 10, 2010 14:01:08 GMT
I do remember Sophie flashing a lot of her pants anyway... exactly how much more of herself did she flash this time?!
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Post by Lorannah on Aug 11, 2010 8:35:35 GMT
I do remember Sophie flashing a lot of her pants anyway... exactly how much more of herself did she flash this time?! I am not sure what exact measurements you would use to describe levels of flashage - but it was quite impressive and directed at one or two people. Anyway - on other matters, have just been sorting through all the random things I bookmarked last year and found this, which I think is awesome. It's an audio slideshow about the set design of As You Like It (they describe it as an advent calendar too) - you get to see how the design has altered and some of the other designs they considered plus there are some beautiful production shots. www.guardian.co.uk/stage/audioslideshow/2009/may/20/sets-rsc-as-you-like-it |
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Post by Queen Mab on Aug 11, 2010 13:00:18 GMT
Ahh I rememeber that video. I sent the link to the Illuminations blog folks when we were discussing set designs.
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Post by Queen Mab on Sept 2, 2010 7:58:24 GMT
Heard on the Twittervine today that Digital Theatre recorded this last night. YAY.
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Rosalind
The Whining Schoolboy
Posts: 47
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Post by Rosalind on Sept 2, 2010 9:04:33 GMT
Will have to be buying that then!
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). Thought Mariah was very good - though it was Sophie Russell (Celia), James Trahearne (Touchstone) and James Howard (Jacques) who really impressed me.