Congratulations to the Globe's new Artistic Director, Michelle Terry. This was simple storytelling at its brightest. Notable for its sweet clarity, there’s minimalism all round in this production, pared back to allow the glorious text to shine. And it’s funny – very funny, laughter crackling through the courtyard as the company relish in a very assured production.Suitably relevant for the Globe’s new Artistic Director and her strategy: ‘all the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players’ says Jacques, played faultlessly here in a standout performance by Pearce Quigley, delivering his depressed deadpan with the tears of a world-weary clown. His comic timing consistently delivers, and such is his charm, he gets away with outrageously cheap gags that delight the crowd, taking liberties with the text and pokerfaced asides that land just right. Colin Hurley’s Touchstone and James Garnon’s Audrey prove in the pastoral scenes that all you need is the text; the magic is all there to be discovered. Richard Katz wrings every ounce of comedy out of all of his roles, while Michelle Terry takes a backseat with supporting roles in the first of the two-play day.
Perhaps the biggest triumph of this traditional Arden adventure is Jack Laskey as Rosalind. Giddy and uplifting but never cheapening the role with fake falsetto or feminine mannerisms, he is always authentic to Rosalind’s purpose in this joyful, pitch-perfect performance. His delicate features certainly do no harm and being ‘uncommonly tall’ is a bonus – especially in contrast to the tiny powerhouse Bettrys Jones as Orlando, cute in spite of small man syndrome. If her voice seemed a little light at the start she certainly grew in stature and status as the play developed and won over more than just Rosalind.
Bravo on taking this bold choice and nailing it
Add to this the choice of casting enchanting Deaf actress Nadia Nadarajah as Celia, played throughout in sign language. Her performance adds such heart and looking around at the audience it was clear that the physical language she shared with her best friend was astonishingly engaging. Moments of silence while she made herself clear drew us in and were riveting. Celia’s relationship with Rosalind and Feste, joshing with each other and finishing each other’s sentences with universal body language makes Shakespeare’s story of friendship and loyalty all the more expressive for this extra layer. Bravo on taking this bold choice and nailing it.
I wished I’d been party to their group discoveries in the rehearsal room
Simple, sharply timed coat switching to no more than a couple of slick percussive bars of music enabled the court, led by a virile Helen Schlesinger, to switch Dukes, furthering the energy of this accomplished piece. There’s such relaxed familiarity with the text, and originality without gimmick, that I wished I’d been party to their group discoveries in the rehearsal room. Other than a few moments that actors seemed to appear awkwardly staged in audience unfriendly positions, I forgot that this wasn’t led by a single Director.
Ellen Parry and her team have created richly traditional and rustic design with gorgeous fabrics and adornments. A highlight for me was their dressing of gorgeously butch yet curvy James Garnon, a vision as folk music’s answer to Boy George.
‘Gender neutral’, ‘gender fluid’ casting – whatever you call it – isn’t original. Innovative Shakespeare rep companies such as Merely Theatre (lead by the brilliant young director, Scott Ellis) have been exponents of gender blind casting for years, but to see the Globe’s new Artist Director adopt this concept so wholeheartedly, at the helm of Shakespeare’s world, marks the importance of casting the right person for the role, and that’s all.
Originally presented as a three-hander at the Finborough Theatre in 2016, Schism (which perhaps would be better titled Form Follows Function), has been trimmed to two characters, but still overreaches by attempting to cover-off every social ill and taboo still prevalent in society today.