Jonathan Groff makes Shakespeare debut as Rosalind in RSC's all-male As You Like It
Tony Award-winning Broadway star Jonathan Groff has made his Shakespeare debut as Rosalind in the Royal Shakespeare Company's all-male As You Like It. WhatsOnStage
The production is directed by Daniel Evans, co-artistic director of the RSC. It also marks Groff's debut with the company.
An all-male production means men play all the parts, including the women's roles. Fisayo Akinade plays Celia opposite Groff's Rosalind. Elliot Barnes-Worrell plays Orlando. Gareth Snook plays the shepherdess Audrey.
The forest looks lush. Anisha Fields designed the set as a grass-covered sward with tufty hillocks. Ryan Day provides the lighting, described as impressionistic. Short sentences help here. The green dominates.
Music runs through the show. Theo Jamieson composed the score, which draws on hymns. A male voice choir from Wales sings in harmony as part of the production.
Groff performs Rosalind in his own American accent. The production makes it a running joke about her voice. It is a direct nod to an American actor leading a British Shakespeare company.
Opening night did not run smoothly. The performance was hit by an 80-minute technical fault. Stagehands moved scenery by hand to keep the show going. WhatsOnStage
What makes this stand out is the casting at its centre. Groff is best known as a Broadway star. He now takes on one of Shakespeare's longest women's roles, in his first outing for the RSC and his first Shakespeare role.
