Nothing could be more comforting as we try to resume life at pre-COVID levels than to know that Vancouver’s magical Bard on the Beach is back for a full season. And nothing could be more suited to the moment than a re-presentation of the 2019 production of As You Like It.
This is not only the sunniest of Shakespeare’s comedies, but in this particular production, also one of the funniest. And because Bard’s artistic director, Christopher Gaze, and Edmonton’s Citadel artistic director, Daryl Cloran, hit on the happy thought of marrying Shakespeare’s plays to songs by the Beatles, the result is joyfully tuneful.
Of course, all of this is made possible only because under Coran’s direction a talented cast and band of musicians bring the play to glorious and delightful life.
Indeed, it is somewhat unfair to single out any cast or band member for special mention as, without exception, they are not only well cast but also perform brilliantly and sing superbly. However, at risk of short-changing the rest of the cast, I feel obliged to mention the talented Oscar Derkx and Chelsea Rose as the leading romantic couple, who sing and act charmingly – as well as comically.
Scott Bellis, as the melancholy Jacques, gives the character an endearing gentleness and poignant depth which I found totally surprising, despite having seen at least a dozen different productions of the play.
Ben Elliot not only sings superbly but also engages in an acrobatically physical performance as Silvio – impressive in a production in which the entire cast is challenged to its physical limits!
This is indeed a cast-impressive and lively production which achieves a certain perfection. The somewhat shortened play remains a charming story of love, including many of the Bard’s customary tropes: nobility fleeing to a forest (in this case, an unexpected Okanagan!), women disguising themselves as men, people falling instantly in love, and the whole thing ending up (to use Lerner and Lowe’s satisfactory term) happy everaftering.
Though so much is familiar, there are many surprises here, not simply in the location but also in a number of other inclusions, ranging from the World Wrestling Federation to a trip back to the Sixties and the world of commune-minded hippiedom, completed by nicely evocative set and costume design. And throughout it all, more than 20 numbers from the Beatles songbook form a seamless part of the production as if the Bard had that in mind when he penned the play.
The production is in short a total success. It has already proved to be just that.`In 2019 it was the most successful presentation in the company’s history, playing to over 60,000 people and going on to tour Edmonton, Winnipeg, Chicago, and Milwaukee before setting off to Washington, D.C., and Calgary.
What a joy it is now to welcome its re-presentation in its original home before it sets out for certain success in other cities.
For those who love the play it offers a new and beguiling insight into the Bard’s comic achievement. For those who may be somewhat wary of attending a production of Shakespeare, it is a totally accessible and welcoming invitation to recognize that Shakespeare has always been a mass audience hit. And for Vancouver, it is a wonderful chance to applaud one of the city’s proudest achievements. Welcome back to Bard on the Beach! It really is as you like it!
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