2000: As You Like It

A wrestling match takes place near Duke Frederick's Court.  After hearing of the prowess of the wrestlers, Duke Frederick sends his Court Wrestler, Charles, to take on the three proponents.  Charles overcomes them easily and issues a general challenge to the men of the area.  This challenge is taken up by Orlando, the younger brother of Oliver de Boys.  Orlando is tired of the treatment meted out to him by his cruel brother and, after overcoming Charles, he takes his brother's old retainer, Adam, and flees to the Forest of Arden - but not before we took the opportunity for one of the protagonists to be bodily heaved off the side of the stage and into the icy waters of the Quenington Old Rectory mill leat!

And the play includes one of Shakespeare's most quoted soliloquies - Jaques' The Seven Ages of Man - "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players …"

Beryl Rees set this production of As You Like It once more back in period - in the Forest of Arden of Shakespeare's own time.