Summer Shakespeare

For this year’s Summer Shakespeare Festival, Top Dog Theatre presents another great comedy, As You Like It.

Set mainly within the forest of Arden, Mona Vale is the perfect setting for this entertaining tale of romance, deceit, cruelty and love. As usual, Shakespeare delights as several stories are told simultaneously with interconnected, layered plots and sub-plots.

Portraying Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most challenging and delightful female roles, is Harriet Prebble. Her close-knit friend and ally Celia, is played by Nikki Bleyendaal.

Duke Frederick banishes his older brother to the forest as he takes over his kingdom. Soon after, Celia and Rosalind are also banished, and they too flee to the forest. But before they go, Rosalind meets Orlando and they fall desperately in love. His older brother, Oliver, cruelly treats Orlando; Orlando flees to the forest!

What a busy forest!

Rosalind, originally disguised as a man for safety reasons, keeps her disguise as she teases Orlando into revealing his love for Rosalind. Cruel, but that’s girl power for you!

Touchstone the jester falls in lust with Audrey, and makes a move to marry her. Silvius is desperately in love with Phoebe. Only Phoebe is in love with Rosalind, as she is dressed as a man. That’s a worry. But hey, it’s Shakespeare – it’ll all come out in the wash, well, final scene.

In this hilarious tale, witness one woman tackling love from all angles.

The Summer Shakespeare Festival opens on Friday 10th February and runs through to Saturday 18th February. Performances 6pm to 8:10pm every night.

Toilets and refreshments are available on site. Come sit on a picnic blanket, (at the front) or low/high chair (seating is segregated for audience viewing) and remember to bring plenty of warm clothing.

All tickets are $12, available on the gate, or from The Court Theatre Box Office: 963 0870.