All The World Is Student Theatre: Reviewing ‘As You Like It’ By King’s Shakespeare Company

Roxy-Moon Dahal Hodson
9 minutes ago
3 min read

Cast of a play, ‘As You Like It’ cheering on stage. — Photography by Sarah Chen

★★★★★ | King’s Shakespeare Company has gained a reputation at King’s College London for remarkable productions - Emma Howard-Littlefield’s directorial debut ‘As You Like It’ is no exception. This witty adaptation of a much-loved comedy is a touching representation of why culture needs student theatre. As well as being a classmate that everyone is interested to hear from (particularly her scathing reviews of Kenneth Branagh’s attempts at adapting Shakespeare himself), the quality of the production that Howard-Littlefield executes is indicative of the sheer enjoyment she had at creating such a whirlwind of magic on the stage at Greenwood Theatre.

The story begins with Orlando (Evie Korten), who is tormented and cast in the shadow of his older brother Oliver (Cait Jones). Once brawls and plots between them ensue, Rosalind (Rutalee Buch) falls deeply in love with Orlando, and after a romantic exchange, Orlando begins to feel the same way. Both find their way into the Forest of Arden - Orlando escapes his brother and Rosalind is banished by Duke Frederick (Dante Phillips), his daughter Celia (Raya Dasgupta) joining her. Both women disguise themselves: Rosalind as Ganymede, a young man, and Celia as Aliena, his sister. Amongst a slew of fabulously entertaining side characters, Orlando begins to fall for Ganymede.

Act one of a play with people standing around and interacting with each other — Photography by Sarah Chen

We begin the show in a set dressed with clothing rails, a whiteboard calling for sign ups, and a table of props, bringing backstage layouts to the fore. The second act introduces us to The Forest of Arden, where the set was accessorised with delightful bunting and shabby chic fabrics, complimenting Louise Nguyen’s clever costume design. At the end of the final show, Howard-Littlefield exclaimed how her masterful set design was an attempt to showcase the brilliance of student theatre-making, where bodies transition from rehearsing their lines in dank dressing rooms and shadowy wings onto the enticing and vibrant stage.

Shakespeare’s complicated plots and large cast of characters are hard to keep track of, even for the average Hollywood star-studded director that decides to take on his plays, yet Howard-Littlefield, in between coursework and module selections, has managed to proficiently and thoughtfully craft her interpretation with enough detail to make directors glower with envy. Both Orlando and the self-assured Rosalind, solidified the production with their winsome chemistry, yet both humour the audience in their silly tendencies. The whole cast seamlessly transported between serious and troubling scenes to sequences of comedy - on the night I attended, this allowed the cast to harness control of the audience’s emotional reactions fabulously.

Three people on a stage of a production with purple lighting — Photography by Sarah Chen

The highlight of the production was humour - particularly in the latter acts of the production, embodied fantastically by Phoebe (Lily Chapman), Touchstone (Ellie Lambrou), and Rosalind (Rutalee Buch). Their stage presence and acting capabilities felt as if I was watching a production at The Globe - I would truly not be surprised if they went on to have successful acting careers in theatre. I have never witnessed a more accurate depiction of randy arousal than in Phoebe’s hots for Ganymede (Rosalind’s disguise) and a more disgusted depiction of rejection in Rosalind’s terrified shrieks. Lambrou managed to make every utterance a laugh-out-loud moment - she has an undoubtable penchant for comedy.

It is not only encouraging but vital that students and young people remain engaged with theatre and performance now more than ever as theatre courses face cuts and performance spaces are under threat of underfunding and eventual closure. Supporting your local theatre, theatre-makers, and students is necessary to provide meaningful and cultural experiences for those who take part and for audiences across the UK. Without theatre and those who pioneer it, so much of our world would be dimmer.

And who better to light the stage up than this cast and crew of phenomenal talent? Keep your eyes on Emma Howard-Littlefield, Kenneth Branagh.

View the ‘As You Like It’ programme.

Visit King’s Shakespeare Company’s Instagram.

For more of Emma Howard-Littlefield’s theatre-making, go and see ‘Do you have a fascination with certain objects (e.g. trains)?’ as part of InterACT Festival at Camden People’s Theatre on the 6th of June. To get tickets, keep an eye on their Instagram.