As You Like it

Abstract

The strength of this Stratford production was clearly its stressing the realism of the play’s sentiment against the poetic pattern of its form, and in this Mr. Hutt and his cast were generally successful Unfortunately Mr. Hutt—in conspiracy with his designer, Alan Barlow—elected to set the play in some Ruritania of the 18^th century, where ruffs and fluffs shared credence with leather jackets that looked like forgotten time refugees from Hell’s Angels. This is more unnecessary than might be thought. This kind of production needs more style and less stylishness… But Mr. Hutt has found a most winning Rosalind, and plays on her sweetly; Carole Shelley… would not have been my first choice as Rosalind—I think in terms of Maggies Smith or Vanessa Redgrave. But Miss Shelley was exquisite—witty, precise and womanly. There is a sensuality to Rosalind that I think she missed, yet there is also a sexual awareness that she most elegantly captured. She was a sweetly acid sweetie, which is no bad definition of Rosalinds territory … I was slightly disappointed in the Orlando of Nicholas Pennell, a good actor making his North American debut slightly miscast and fighting good-naturedly against circumstances … Edward Atienza was a lively and robust Touchstone, and I was very taken with the gentle beauty of Pamela Brook as Celia and the world-weary melancholy of Roland Hewgills Jaques. (Clive Barnes, New York Times, 7 June 1982)