As You Like It starring Jonathan Groff at The RSC Review
Fisayo Akinade and Jonathan Groff. Photo by Marc Brenner.
An all-male staging of Shakespeare’s As You Like It at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre shatters stereotypes by challenging traditional ideas about gender, identity, and performance. Daniel Evans’s direction is incredibly playful, with underlying romantic tension that makes this production one of the most endearing takes on the story you’ll ever encounter.
A comedy, As You Like It encompasses love, family, rivalry, disguise and discovering happiness. Rosalind, the daughter of a banished duke, is forced to leave the court after her uncle takes control. With her cousin Celia alongside her, they escape to the Forest of Arden, where Rosalind disguises herself as a young man and falls in love with Orlando, who is also escaping family troubles of his own. Disguised as Ganymede, Rosalind offers to help Orlando practise wooing her, without him realising that Ganymede is actually the woman he loves. There are also several other characters intertwined in this storyline who also experience their own romantic adventures. Whilst on paper, there is a lot to follow, this production makes it incredibly accessible to audiences on so many levels.
Set designer Anisha Fields transforms the expansive Royal Shakespeare Theatre from a stark, distinct, colourless space under the helm of Duke Frederick’s oppressive court into a breathtakingly lush Forest of Arden (set in a Welsh landscape), creating a striking visual spectacle. The transition in the first half, however, features intense flashes of light that may be overwhelming for some audience members, so those with light sensitivity should bear this in mind before attending. Ryan Day’s lighting design beautifully complements the set, enhancing the contrast between the two worlds and bringing the production’s visual transformation to life.
As You Like It is then finished off with a Welsh voice choir's heavenly vocals that really fill this vast auditorium. It works perfectly for the narrative and the warmth that comes off from every edge of this production.
The big selling point for The RSC’s production this time around is the Tony Award-winning actor Jonathan Groff, who stars as Rosalind alongside Fisayo Akinade as Celia. Making his RSC debut, Groff is an absolute delight to watch in his production. His cheeky and enthusiastic presence makes his Rosalind very dimensional, especially when he leans into her intelligent side. Paired with Fisayo’s devotion to Celia’s wit and tender care for this character, the pair together are a dynamite pairing! Elliot Barnes-Worrell’s Orlando has genuine believability in his noble-hearted take on this character; his chemistry with Groff’s Rosalind is tender and convincing. Their eventual union at the end of the show feels genuinely earned.
Touchstone, played by Greg Haiste, reminded my husband of the late Rik Mayall. His glorious energy in this role is magnificent and one of the best performances of the evening for us.
This production of As You Like It uses the gender-swapping as a natural extension of Shakespeare’s humour rather than a gimmick in itself. As a result, you will witness a play so full of life and entertainment that your heart will be left feeling joyful!
As You Like It plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre until 7th November 2026.
★★★★★
Written by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic, October 2026.
