As we like it? A collective review of Shakespeare's As You Like It (directed by Michael Boyd for the Royal Shakespeare Company) at the Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 5 September 2009

Abstract

This is an edited transcript of a review group (of about 75 people) which took place at the Shakespeare Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon, on 6 September 2009, the contributors having seen the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of As You Like It the previous evening. The discussion was designed to address the production and then to develop into a reflection on the processes of reviewing itself asking such questions as “how did the production speak to our times?”, “what is worth remembering about this production?”, “why is your opinion valuable?” and “what difference would you like your review to make?” Participants included journalists, theatre directors, theatre designers, performers, academics, graduate, undergraduate and high school students, and interested members of the public. In publishing these fragmented opinions and reflections, we are interested in creating a space in the theatrical archive for a polyphonic review, one that gathers a range of unattributed voices and, as far as possible, allows them to co-exist without hierarchy or resolution. Initially the discussion took place in small groups and then in a single, very large circle. The first 10 quotations below summarize group discussions; from that point on, individuals made contributions on any aspect of the production they wished to discuss.