REVIEW
Southend Shakespeare Company presents
AS YOU LIKE IT
by William Shakespeare
ON TOUR!
Southend Shakespeare Company presents
AS YOU LIKE IT
by William Shakespeare
ON TOUR!
The last Shakespeare play I went to see was Macbeth at the Globe. As I took my seat in the front row, an usher warned that I’d probably get sprayed with blood (fake) and spittle (real).
Happily, there were no such concerns with As You Like It; an altogether more refined comedy. And as an open-air production with ‘bring your own’ seating, we could position ourselves for the best possible view – which as it turned out, was pretty much anywhere. Southchurch Hall, with its elegant gardens and medieval moated house, offered the perfect pastoral setting for the play, which has a creative-yet-simple set design.
The performance by Southend Shakespeare Company is vibrant and engaging throughout, with skilled characterisation and distinctive costumes. Katie Bysouth is utterly captivating as Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated female characters and whose intriguing story dominates the play.
Rosalind’s father, Duke Senior (Dave Lobley) has been exiled from court by his sister, Duchess Frederica (a majestic Vanessa Osborn) and now lives in the Forest of Arden with his noblemen and women. Rosalind was permitted to stay at court because of her close relationship with her cousin Celia, but she also finds herself suddenly banished after angering Frederica.
Celia (Tracey-Anne Bourne) decides to join her cousin in the escape, and both assume disguises. Celia becomes Aliena, a poor woman, and Rosalind a young man called Ganymede.
Meanwhile, Orlando de Boys (Ben Smerdon, with fabulous comic timing) has fallen in love with Rosalind after meeting her at court, but since then he has also fled to the forest to escape his tyrannical elder brother, Oliver (the charismatic Matthew Willis).
Chaos, philosophy, romance, and mistaken identities ensue, peppered with humorous ad-libs and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, particularly from sidekicks Ada, Orlando’s faithful servant, and Touchstone, the court fool who accompanies Rosalind and Celia into the forest. Gillian Bates and Elliot Bigden absolutely excel in these roles.
As You Like It is particularly famed for its “All the world’s a stage…” speech, which is deftly delivered by the melancholy nobleman Jaques (a commanding Shaka Bunsie) in a way that reminded me of why Shakespeare’s dialogue is still so loved, centuries after it was written. I also enjoyed Duke Senior’s speech praising his life in exile, finding “tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything”.
To be brutally honest, I found the whole story a tiny bit thin for the play’s run-time of two-and-a-half hours (there is a 15-minute interval) but the outdoor setting is so evocative and charming that this doesn’t really matter.
This being my first foray into al fresco theatre, I was also pleasantly surprised by how those common ‘audience niggles’ – rustling bags of crisps, squeaky seats, occasional whispers, etc. etc… – just melt away when everyone is sitting outside. The whole atmosphere was irresistibly warm and invitingly communal; at one point I caught sight of a few curious children climbing trees in the park opposite, eager to see what was going on.
There will be more open-air performances of As You Like It throughout the summer. I heartily recommend that you grab yourself a place under the greenwood tree, and catch one if you can.
Review: Nina Jervis
Happily, there were no such concerns with As You Like It; an altogether more refined comedy. And as an open-air production with ‘bring your own’ seating, we could position ourselves for the best possible view – which as it turned out, was pretty much anywhere. Southchurch Hall, with its elegant gardens and medieval moated house, offered the perfect pastoral setting for the play, which has a creative-yet-simple set design.
The performance by Southend Shakespeare Company is vibrant and engaging throughout, with skilled characterisation and distinctive costumes. Katie Bysouth is utterly captivating as Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated female characters and whose intriguing story dominates the play.
Rosalind’s father, Duke Senior (Dave Lobley) has been exiled from court by his sister, Duchess Frederica (a majestic Vanessa Osborn) and now lives in the Forest of Arden with his noblemen and women. Rosalind was permitted to stay at court because of her close relationship with her cousin Celia, but she also finds herself suddenly banished after angering Frederica.
Celia (Tracey-Anne Bourne) decides to join her cousin in the escape, and both assume disguises. Celia becomes Aliena, a poor woman, and Rosalind a young man called Ganymede.
Meanwhile, Orlando de Boys (Ben Smerdon, with fabulous comic timing) has fallen in love with Rosalind after meeting her at court, but since then he has also fled to the forest to escape his tyrannical elder brother, Oliver (the charismatic Matthew Willis).
Chaos, philosophy, romance, and mistaken identities ensue, peppered with humorous ad-libs and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, particularly from sidekicks Ada, Orlando’s faithful servant, and Touchstone, the court fool who accompanies Rosalind and Celia into the forest. Gillian Bates and Elliot Bigden absolutely excel in these roles.
As You Like It is particularly famed for its “All the world’s a stage…” speech, which is deftly delivered by the melancholy nobleman Jaques (a commanding Shaka Bunsie) in a way that reminded me of why Shakespeare’s dialogue is still so loved, centuries after it was written. I also enjoyed Duke Senior’s speech praising his life in exile, finding “tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything”.
To be brutally honest, I found the whole story a tiny bit thin for the play’s run-time of two-and-a-half hours (there is a 15-minute interval) but the outdoor setting is so evocative and charming that this doesn’t really matter.
This being my first foray into al fresco theatre, I was also pleasantly surprised by how those common ‘audience niggles’ – rustling bags of crisps, squeaky seats, occasional whispers, etc. etc… – just melt away when everyone is sitting outside. The whole atmosphere was irresistibly warm and invitingly communal; at one point I caught sight of a few curious children climbing trees in the park opposite, eager to see what was going on.
There will be more open-air performances of As You Like It throughout the summer. I heartily recommend that you grab yourself a place under the greenwood tree, and catch one if you can.
Review: Nina Jervis
Once again, Southend Shakespeare Company leave their regular home of the Palace Theatre for their Open Air Theatre season, this year presenting the delightful comedy “As You Like It.” So dust off those camping chairs, shake out the travel rug, pack a picnic and find the bottle opener in preparation for a summer treat!
Shakespeare’s famous pastoral romance, set in the Forest of Arden, features his most bewitching female character Rosalind. She is banished to the forest and eventually marries the man she loves, Orlando. The action is full of infatuated, thwarted lovers, mistaken identities, hilarious characters and ends with four weddings...Don’t miss it!
Tour Dates
Sun 2nd July at 3.00pm - Southchurch Hall, Southend On Sea
Sat 8th July at 6.30pm - Essex Wildlife Trust, Belfairs Woodland Centre
Sun 9th July at 3.00pm - Steps Ahead Hive Nature School, Garon's Park, Southend On Sea
Wed 12th, Thu 13th, Fri 14th, Sat 15th July at 7.45pm - Leigh Library Gardens, Leigh On Sea
Please note different start times at venues.
Tickets for all performances:- £10.00 Adults £5.00 Children
No advance booking required. Just pay in cash on the door.
Please bring your own seating. Look forward to seeing you soon!
For more information about the SSC visit their website at
southendshakespeare.org.uk
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Shakespeare’s famous pastoral romance, set in the Forest of Arden, features his most bewitching female character Rosalind. She is banished to the forest and eventually marries the man she loves, Orlando. The action is full of infatuated, thwarted lovers, mistaken identities, hilarious characters and ends with four weddings...Don’t miss it!
Tour Dates
Sun 2nd July at 3.00pm - Southchurch Hall, Southend On Sea
Sat 8th July at 6.30pm - Essex Wildlife Trust, Belfairs Woodland Centre
Sun 9th July at 3.00pm - Steps Ahead Hive Nature School, Garon's Park, Southend On Sea
Wed 12th, Thu 13th, Fri 14th, Sat 15th July at 7.45pm - Leigh Library Gardens, Leigh On Sea
Please note different start times at venues.
Tickets for all performances:- £10.00 Adults £5.00 Children
No advance booking required. Just pay in cash on the door.
Please bring your own seating. Look forward to seeing you soon!
For more information about the SSC visit their website at
southendshakespeare.org.uk
CURTAIN CALL
with Katie Bysouth, 32, from Rochford who will be playing the role of Rosalind
with Katie Bysouth, 32, from Rochford who will be playing the role of Rosalind
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When did you start to take an interest in theatre? Did you take part in any productions at school?
I’ve been into acting for as long as I can remember. I distinctly remember my first role as ‘Doris the Donkey’ in my nursery’s nativity. She had slept through the birth of baby Jesus and sat up and said ‘where’s everybody gone?’ Forget Mary, Joseph and Jesus, Doris was clearly the star of this show. I guess that gave me the bug, I’ve been involved in drama clubs at school and in the holidays. I used to love doing ‘A Play in a Day’ at the old Empire Theatre in Southend. I was in all the school musicals too, only ever in the chorus, but I used to really enjoy getting to play lots of different characters throughout the show, so didn’t mind one bit. Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama? Not really. My Dad did do a school play in junior school and likes to claim that’s where my love of Drama comes from, but I’m not so sure! Have you done any sort of formal training for acting/singing/dancing? I did Education Studies with Drama at University and spent half my time studying Drama, we explored some really interesting pieces from Sarah Kane’s 4:48 Psychosis to Blood Brothers, looking a different styles and techniques along the way. I also got the chance to spend a week performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which was an incredible experience. |
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Do you have any specialist skills – anything from stilt walking to dress-making – which you work into your repertoire?
I’d love to be able to give you a long list of amazingly wonderful skills, but unfortunately I’m really quite boring outside of the Southend Shakespeare Company. Does baking things for rehearsals to put a smile on people’s faces count?
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your amdram career to date?
Last year’s summer show was definitely a fun one for me. Getting to play Ursula the Pig lady who was really horrible and just ran around shouting at everyone, it was great fun! But I’ve also absolutely loved playing Elizabeth in Richard III and Alice in ‘You Can’t Take It With You’ who are literally the complete opposite, but just as much fun.
What has been your most embarrassing moment involving drama, on or off stage?
I feel over on stage last year during our summer show, Bartholomew Fair. My character fell over again later, so I’m told no-one noticed, but I managed to fracture my thumb for my troubles and was quite embarrassed, especially as I trod on my own skirt as I attempted to get up.
Where do you work?
I’m a teacher at a special needs school. I work at a school for children with moderate learning difficulties, they have a variety of needs including Autism, ADHD, global delay etc. I have worked in special education for six years now and have met some of the most fabulous children and families who I love beyond words.
Following on from the previous question, has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage activities?
All the time! I have to pretend to not be cross when something that shouldn’t happen does or that I’m full of energy when I’m completely exhausted. The hardest is not laughing when I find what the children have said or done absolutely hilarious but they’re being deadly serious, that’s a challenge, but definitely helps with the corpsing!
Are your friends mostly involved in theatre - perhaps even working with you on a regular basis - or do you socialise across a wider circle?
I’m lucky that I’ve meet some wonderful people whilst doing shows with the SSC. We have great fun both on and off the stage. I’m lucky and have some amazing friends locally that I have met through work or church. Some of my best friends live in Burgess Hill, ten minutes north of Brighton, Bristol and Cambridge, so I get cheeky little holidays when I meet up with them.
Which actor do you most admire and why?
I’ve recently discovered the wonder that is Florence Pugh and have binged her back catalogue, I don’t know how I missed her, she’s so natural and versatile. I feel like she’s just a nice normal person and isn’t trying to fit the stereotype of what society says a woman should be or do. I admire anyone who is able to just be unashamedly themselves.
What role would you most like to play and why?
I’ve never had a particular role in mind, but I feel like I’ve had a lot of time as nice characters who fall in love hard and fast. I would absolutely relish the chance to play a villain and just be completely evil!! I think that would be excellent. More than anything though, I want to keep working with the great bunch of people I have over the last few years and keep having a laugh whilst doing something we all adore.
Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?
I was so, so close in the last show I did. An American comedy set in the 1930’s. I played Alice, who was one of few characters who took themselves seriously and there were quite a few moments throughout the play where my co-stars had me in absolute stitches during rehearsals and I had to work really hard to get all the giggles out of my system. There was one night I was struggling to keep it in and I felt myself going, so I had to quickly cover my mouth with my hands, luckily Alice would have been horrified with what was happening, so it worked.
Tell us a bit about "As You Like It"
It’s a really funny play, it’s sort of a hybrid between Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night, but with less fairies. Rosalind’s father has been banished and her Aunt who she’s staying with doesn’t like her. She falls in love with Orlando, the man who beats her Aunt’s wrestler, and she gets banished. Her and her cousin Celia decide to go to the Forest of Arden to find Rosalind’s banished father. Rosalind dresses as a man, thinking it will keep them safe. There she runs into Orlando who is fleeing from his brother and persuades him to spend time with her. There are loads of other excellent people in the forest including Audrey, Silvius and Phoebe who are fantastic to watch, and or course Jaques who gives his famous ‘all the world’s a stage’ speech.
Any plans for the future, after "As You Like It”?
I’m honestly not sure, I might need a breather after learning all these lines and love helping out back stage, so might take a break from the stage for the rest of the year. I said that this time last year though and have ended up being in four out of the five plays since, so who knows!
Any tricks for remembering your lines or other useful tips to pass on to others involved in drama?
I’m definitely not the person to ask this, lines do not come easily to me. I try everything from typing them out, to listening to them recorded, to pacing up and down in my house saying them over and over again whilst my dog looks at me like I’m a crazy person. That being said, I find repetition is key and having good friends who will run lines with me even when we’re on holiday is extremely helpful.
I’d love to be able to give you a long list of amazingly wonderful skills, but unfortunately I’m really quite boring outside of the Southend Shakespeare Company. Does baking things for rehearsals to put a smile on people’s faces count?
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your amdram career to date?
Last year’s summer show was definitely a fun one for me. Getting to play Ursula the Pig lady who was really horrible and just ran around shouting at everyone, it was great fun! But I’ve also absolutely loved playing Elizabeth in Richard III and Alice in ‘You Can’t Take It With You’ who are literally the complete opposite, but just as much fun.
What has been your most embarrassing moment involving drama, on or off stage?
I feel over on stage last year during our summer show, Bartholomew Fair. My character fell over again later, so I’m told no-one noticed, but I managed to fracture my thumb for my troubles and was quite embarrassed, especially as I trod on my own skirt as I attempted to get up.
Where do you work?
I’m a teacher at a special needs school. I work at a school for children with moderate learning difficulties, they have a variety of needs including Autism, ADHD, global delay etc. I have worked in special education for six years now and have met some of the most fabulous children and families who I love beyond words.
Following on from the previous question, has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage activities?
All the time! I have to pretend to not be cross when something that shouldn’t happen does or that I’m full of energy when I’m completely exhausted. The hardest is not laughing when I find what the children have said or done absolutely hilarious but they’re being deadly serious, that’s a challenge, but definitely helps with the corpsing!
Are your friends mostly involved in theatre - perhaps even working with you on a regular basis - or do you socialise across a wider circle?
I’m lucky that I’ve meet some wonderful people whilst doing shows with the SSC. We have great fun both on and off the stage. I’m lucky and have some amazing friends locally that I have met through work or church. Some of my best friends live in Burgess Hill, ten minutes north of Brighton, Bristol and Cambridge, so I get cheeky little holidays when I meet up with them.
Which actor do you most admire and why?
I’ve recently discovered the wonder that is Florence Pugh and have binged her back catalogue, I don’t know how I missed her, she’s so natural and versatile. I feel like she’s just a nice normal person and isn’t trying to fit the stereotype of what society says a woman should be or do. I admire anyone who is able to just be unashamedly themselves.
What role would you most like to play and why?
I’ve never had a particular role in mind, but I feel like I’ve had a lot of time as nice characters who fall in love hard and fast. I would absolutely relish the chance to play a villain and just be completely evil!! I think that would be excellent. More than anything though, I want to keep working with the great bunch of people I have over the last few years and keep having a laugh whilst doing something we all adore.
Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?
I was so, so close in the last show I did. An American comedy set in the 1930’s. I played Alice, who was one of few characters who took themselves seriously and there were quite a few moments throughout the play where my co-stars had me in absolute stitches during rehearsals and I had to work really hard to get all the giggles out of my system. There was one night I was struggling to keep it in and I felt myself going, so I had to quickly cover my mouth with my hands, luckily Alice would have been horrified with what was happening, so it worked.
Tell us a bit about "As You Like It"
It’s a really funny play, it’s sort of a hybrid between Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night, but with less fairies. Rosalind’s father has been banished and her Aunt who she’s staying with doesn’t like her. She falls in love with Orlando, the man who beats her Aunt’s wrestler, and she gets banished. Her and her cousin Celia decide to go to the Forest of Arden to find Rosalind’s banished father. Rosalind dresses as a man, thinking it will keep them safe. There she runs into Orlando who is fleeing from his brother and persuades him to spend time with her. There are loads of other excellent people in the forest including Audrey, Silvius and Phoebe who are fantastic to watch, and or course Jaques who gives his famous ‘all the world’s a stage’ speech.
Any plans for the future, after "As You Like It”?
I’m honestly not sure, I might need a breather after learning all these lines and love helping out back stage, so might take a break from the stage for the rest of the year. I said that this time last year though and have ended up being in four out of the five plays since, so who knows!
Any tricks for remembering your lines or other useful tips to pass on to others involved in drama?
I’m definitely not the person to ask this, lines do not come easily to me. I try everything from typing them out, to listening to them recorded, to pacing up and down in my house saying them over and over again whilst my dog looks at me like I’m a crazy person. That being said, I find repetition is key and having good friends who will run lines with me even when we’re on holiday is extremely helpful.
