Jonathan Groff to lead an all-male cast production of As You Like It at The RSC.
Daniel Evans will direct the Tony Award-winning Broadway star Jonathan Groff, who will play Rosalind in a joyful new production of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It this Autumn.
The production marks Groff’s RSC début performance, having previously originated the roles of Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening and Kristoff in Disney’s Frozen franchise. His performance as King George III in the international smash-hit musical Hamilton was a fan-favourite, and he won his first Tony Award for playing Franklin Shepherd in the revered revival of Merrily We Roll Along. Jonathan can currently be seen as Bobby Darin in the hit Broadway musical Just in Time at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York.
He will be joined by Fisayo Akinade, who has starred in Heartstopper and Slave Play, will play Celia. Further casting for the production is to be announced.
Jonathan Groff said: “Holy f****** s**t” - that was the subject of the email I sent to Daniel Evans in response to his email asking me if I would be interested in playing “Rosalind” in an all-male production of “As You Like It” at the RSC. In 2019 I went to Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time to take in the historic town and see a gender-swapped production of “The Taming of The Shrew”. The experience of seeing Shakespeare performed so brilliantly in Stratford hit me in a very primal way. Since that stirring experience in Stratford, I’ve spent the last 6 years doing mostly theater in New York. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to come back to Stratford and perform Shakespeare for the first time in my life. The early prep work I’ve been digging into with Daniel and Patsy Rodenburg, their Emeritus Director of Voice, has already got me in a state of ecstasy.”
William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy follows Rosalind as she disguises herself as a boy, explores different forms of love, and ultimately helps bring multiple couples together in marriage.
As You Like It plays from Saturday 26 September to Saturday 7 November. Priority booking for all newly announced productions opens from Monday 2 March at 10am with public booking opening on Wednesday 18 March at 10am. For further information on how to become an RSC Member or Supporter, visit https://www.rsc.org.uk/support/become-a-member-supporter-or-renew
The news follows the recent announcement of the theatre’s 2026 season, including Game of Thrones: The Mad King, a new play based on the novels by George R. R. Martin. There’s also a landmark revival of Phyllida Lloyd’s Julius Caesar starring Harriet Walter, a two-part adaptation of George Eliot’s Middlemarch, and a new stage production of The Three Musketeers.
