‘an energetic, engaging, and entertaining performance very much played for laughs’
Pedalling from venue to venue with all of their set, props, and costumes on the back of their bikes, the HandleBards put in another 44 mile stretch to get to Shakespeare North Playhouse and thankfully were not out of breath.
Duke Frederick (Josh Radcliffe) has usurped the throne from his brother Duke Senior (Radcliffe), exiling him to the forest of Arden, but allows his daughter Rosalind (Isobel Donkin) to remain as a companion to his own daughter Celia (Sarah Bulmer).
Meanwhile Oliver (Bulmer) plots to have his younger brother, Orlando (Radcliffe), killed in a wrestling match with Duke Frederick’s wrestler, Charles (Joel Benedict), but Orlando triumphs, wowing Rosalind in the process, but then has to flee with his elderly manservant Adam (Donkin) from a vengeful Duke Frederick who also banishes Rosalind and Celia.
To survive, Rosalind disguises herself as a young man called Ganymede whilst Celia pretends to be a peasant girl called Aliena, and after arriving in the forest they come across shepherds Corin (Radcliffe) and Silvius (Bulmer) whose love for the shepherdess Phoebe (Benedict) is unrequited.
Rosalind discovers the love messages Orlando has been leaving across the forest for her, but she is still in disguise when they meet and instead guides him on how to pursue his love, until his estranged brother pitches up in pursuit of him.
Will the magic of the forest transcend mistaken identities? Will cooing and wooing save the day and help make the love matches? Will good finally triumph over evil? You’ll have to come and see which path director Mark Collier has chosen to tread.
The four-strong troupe excel themselves with the simplest of staging and costume from designer Lucy Green, with a props table and good use of the space in the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden coordinated by tour manager Chani Merrell.
There are dual identities at the heart of this story which was delivered with cleverly choreographed multi-rolling from the cast with the simplest adjustment of clothing and switching of accents to distinguish between characters, with very often two roles being played out by one actor at the same time, that made it easy for the audience to follow.
There is a good use of musical accompaniment from composer and musical director Guy Hughes to both break-up and support the ensuing action, all of which is delivered in a slick polished style by the cast with an energetic, engaging, and entertaining performance very much played for laughs.
Benedict demonstrates his range performing some very contrasting roles and whilst providing excellent musical accompaniment throughout, I would like to see more of what he can do.
Bulmer turns in a strong performance moving seamlessly between feminine Celia, brash Oliver, and a lovestruck Silvius, with the latter’s scenes with Benedict’s pristine Phoebe a particular standout for me.
The gender switch between Rosalind/Ganymede highlights that whilst gender is often seen as an issue of our day, few realise that twenty percent of Shakespeare’s work involves cross-dressing characters, often designed to afford female characters more freedom in what was then a restrictive society, using their often-belied wit and intelligence to win the day.
Donkin very much delivers on this brief with a strong all-round performance taking full advantage of the interplay between her duality and the confusion amongst others.
Radcliffe impresses from the off, clearly revelling in his multiple roles and quick alternate character interchanges, and was an absolute joy to watch throughout.
From pedalling Twelfth Night to twenty UK venues in 2013, The HandleBards has grown to become an internationally renowned theatre company taking their unique brand of Shakespeare to audiences all over the world.
Further details and booking information for As You Like It and their other current touring production of Macbeth can be found at https://www.handlebards.com/
Review Date: 24th July 2026
Star Rating: FIVE