REVIEW: As You Like it, Botanical Gardens
HEARTBREAK Productions don't half take some right liberties with our William's pastoral comedy, turning it into As You Like It - the musical.
The Bard gets more than a little help from writer David Kerby Kendall who adds more scenes, songs and even an extra character.
It's set against a backdrop of Sixties flower power and you could say the forest of Arden becomes a mini-Woodstock as the cast run through the pop hits of the decade.
All of this extra stuff means that whole swathes of Shakespeare have to go - Jaques loses all but the first line of his 'Who cries out on pride?' speech.
Heartbreak this year have cut back on productions, touring companies and actors. This version of As You Like It uses just five when eight is normally the absolute minium.
It does make for some fast paced drama in the open air. All five actors impress - Helen Rynne as an impish Rosalind and scandalous Audrey, Joe Herzfeld as the sardonic Jaques, Dan McGarry, who combines the lovestruck Orlando with the fool Touchstone, Alice Brockway as a memorable Celia and Michael Sabbaton who plays almost all the minor parts plus the Rev Marvin P Martext. Now why didn't Shakespeare dream him up?
The closing scene proves hectic but the cast burst into Dancing in the Street to cover up the loose ends and the joins. It runs until Sunday.
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 23 C
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Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
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