As You Like It

As You Like It is a comedy by William Shakespeare (1564-1616).

The original text
Probably written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The first performance may have been a performance at Wilton House in 1603.

Performance history in South Africa
1878: First produced in Cape Town by members of the Disney Roebuck company in the Theatre Royal 16 September.

1892: Was to have been performed in Cape Town on Monday 22 February by the Potter-Bellew Company, featuring Mrs Potter and Mr Bellew, but unfortunately the theatre burnt to the ground on the Sunday afternoon.

1906: Lily Langtry acted in this play at the Opera House in Cape Town.

1953: Staged at Rhodes Park by Children's Theatre, directed by Taubie Kushlick with Tessa Laubscher as Rosalind and John Rudd as Orlando.

1954: Little Theatre production directed by Rosalie van der Gucht on 5 and 12 June 1954.

1958: Maynardville.

19**: Staged by the University of Natal, Department of Speech and Drama in 19**, directed by Joan Little, with a cast including Neville Herrington (Orlando), Peter Millin (Oliver), Walter Greyvenstein (Denis), Carel Trichardt (Charles), David Matheson (Monsieur le Beau), Dennis Schauffer (Duke Frederick), Pieter Scholtz (Duke Senior), Roger Orton (Jacques), Jane Osborne (Phebe) and others.

1977: Robert Mohr directed a UCT Drama Department production in the Baxter Theatre in 1977.

1977: Michael Atkinson directed a Rhodes University Drama Department production in August 1977, starring Claerwen Howie, Jon Maytham.

1985: Maynardville 1985. Directed by John Hussey, design by Peter Cazalet, lighting by Brian Kennedy assisted by Malcolm Hurrell, choreography Pamela Chrimes, music Peter McLea. Members of the cast were Dorothy-Ann Gould (Rosalind) and John Whiteley (Duke Senior and Duke Frederick), Terry Greyvenstein (Celia), Victoria Bawcombe (Phebe), and Glynn Day (Touchstone). The cast also included Robert Whitehead, Gordon van Rooyen, Gary Carter, Jamie Bartlett, Mark Graham, David Dennis, David Butler, Russel Savadier, Diane Wilson, Peter Kruger and others.

1986: Directed by Fred Hagemann for SODA, Wits Theatre.

1989: Performed by PACT, directed by François Swart with Fiona Ramsay and Jeremy Crutchley.

1999: Performed at Maynardville, directed by Keith Grenville), with Peter Butler, William Prophet, Paul du Toit, John Springett, Hugo Theart, André Roothman, Jason Ralph, Anthea Thompson, Natasha Lampropoulos, Anton Smuts, Jeroen Kranenburg, Blaise Koch, Adrian Galley, Ian Bruce, Farouk Valley-Omar, Leanna Dreyer, Nazli George. Set and costume design by Michael Mitchell, lighting design by Malcolm Hurrell, music composition by Graham Weir.

2007: Directed by Helen Flax and performed in Mannville, Port Elizabeth, 2007.

2009: Maynardville. Directed by Geoffrey Hyland, assisted by Dicky Longhurst (Costumes), Daniel Galloway (Set), William Baker (Music) and Jay Pather (Choreography), Leigh Anderson (Assistant Director). Starring in this production will be Lika Berning (Rosalind), Gys de Villiers (Duke Senior and Duke Frederick), Astara Mwakalumbwa (Celia), Nicola Hanekom (Phebe), Mark Elderkin (Touchstone) together with a full cast.

Return to
Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays

Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays

Return to PLAYS III: Collections

Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances

Return to South African Festivals and Competitions

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page