As You Like It: Getting Your Shakespeare On Under The Vines – Adelaide Fringe Review

McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Visitor Centre Adelaide, Sun 14 Feb Performed at the McLaren Vale Visitors’ Centre, where we sit under vines and the players perform on rolling green grass, this version of As You Like It is a little… different. With the lead role usually played by a male who then performs as a female pretending to be a male, this production has Orlando played by a female who then pretends to be male, all the while falling in love with the fair Rosalind. Confused? Don’t worry, as with most Shakespeare, it will all work out in the end. The Little Fish in performing As You Like It are, in their own words “telling a story that needs telling gently” and a story that is “incredibly relevant today”. In making the gender swap, Russell Slater (Director) has given Isabella Shaw (Orlando) and Jean Millward (Rosalind) the opportunity to show us how we feel about two women falling in love with each other. In doing so, he has told their story ‘gently’. Both Isabella and Jean did a great and believable job of bringing these characters to life. Special mention must be made of Elizabeth Bastale (Audrey) who managed to steal every scene she was in. Mention must also be made that some scenes were lost to the wind due to the smaller voices on stage. Even the smallest part offers us the information we need to make sense of the next scene, if we miss anything, we too are left wandering in Arden Forest. Charissa McCluskey-Garcia As You Like It continues at Brick & Mortar, Norwood, from 7.30pm until Sat 20 Feb. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.