As Who Likes It?

So yesterday was Cate Blanchett, and tonight is Shakespeare’s As You Like It at the Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney.

I apologised yesterday for an unusual amount of reviewing, and today I continue under the cover of the same excuse, or a note from my Mum, whichever you prefer.

Well, I honestly don’t know how I feel about this experience, mixed is the word. I’ll unwind my thoughts with you.

First off, I managed to get a returned ticket (which was a plus). But I was not able to get a student ticket as only Australian students are entitled to a student ticket. This is a minus. (Note I WAS an eligible student at the IMAX and the Sydney Aquarium today, but to the theatre, that institute of free-thought, truth and culture, I am the wrong kind of student, a foreigner, a fat cow suitable only for milking at full price.)

By the middle of the opening line, I already wanted to leave (thats a minus)! I don’t mind raw, but there was not a drop of authenticity in it (that’s a minus). I accept that it’s heightened language and requires a heightened playing style, but heightened and pantomime are different things.

Now I was mad, I spent $59 on a ticket for a production that was bellowed and over-acted (did they not hear Hamlet’s advice to the players?) (that’s a minus).

$59 for a ticket to see a show which for the first 15 minutes felt like a Uni Medics review show felt like a bit of an insult, (that’s a minus) and makes it clear to me that theatre in Australia, or at least in Sydney, is an expensive luxury (that’s a minus).

The verse speaking is pretty awful, the beat ignored (try singing your national anthem to the tune of How Much Is That Doggie in the Window or Happy Birthday to You – for a similar effect), the energy disappeared at the end of lines and very difficult to understand at times (that’s a minus).

Then they started singing, and created something beautiful that compelled me to watch on (that’s a plus). But it’s cheating to woo an audience with song (that’s a minus).

Next they started ad-libbing (that’s a minus) but it was done so well and so funny, it charmed us all (that’s a plus!) but mainly it was used to save us from the Shakespeare (minus).

At half time (the interval) I sat trying to decide whether to waste time as well as money and in the end decided to give it a ‘fair go’ (that’s a plus).

Returning to my seat, I found the cast dressed as sheep, with wildly self indulgent larking around, it was funny, but it went on far too long (that’s a minus). The cast throughout looked like they were having smashing fun (that’s a plus for them). It was the kind of piece that actors love to be in.

The clown scenes were well handled but its still worrying when the comedy grafted onto the piece is so successful (plus) and the comedy and drama of the original given only lip service. (minus)

But something magical was woven between the poorly acted Shakespeare, the cast, through their warm and affectionate performances, they got to me. They beguiled me. Unwillingly at first and finally, openly and reciprocally.

The musical ending including a solo song from Casey Donavan, was beautiful and charming, I left the theatre with a huge smile. (big plus)

So despite mishandling the text, avoiding the verse, mumbling, gabbling, paying little heed to the Iambic Pentameter, a complete refusal to truthfully work off the other actor unless ad-libbing, adding their own stuff, being self indulgent and very expensive… In the end, it was a fucking astonishing piece of theatre.

It was wrong for so many reasons, but it was right for many more. The whole being somehow (but it may have been the deliciously spicy sushi roll I ate at Jazushi before the show) was much more than the sum of its parts.

Layering a show on top of a show was clearly not the intention, and i should have hated the contrivance but at times, I could see method in their madness and a real sense of connection to the Elizabethan theatre, with gags and asides that the audience lapped up.

And since the audience don’t understand Shakespeare, they’ll wait for the next funny bit between bits of poorly done Shakespeare, cos he’s not very funny anyway…

And if the verse was mangled and the ad-libs were the best bits and that meant that there were two shows, As You Like It and As We Prefer It, well… So be it. It was still bloody marvellous.

I should have hated it, but I couldn’t. It cast its spell on me and made me want more (of the funny, musical, non-Shakespeare bits).