by William Shakespeare

directed by                 Sam Mendes
set designer by             Tom Piper
Costumes by                 Catherine Zuber
Lighting by                 Paul Pyant
Sound by                    Simone Baker for Autograph
Hair und Wig design by      Tom Watson
Fight direction by          Rick Sordelet
Music by                    Mark Bennett
Choreography by             Josh Prince
Music direction by          Stephen Bentley-Klein
International Tour Producer Claire Béjanin

after New York and a world tour from 12.6. 2010 at the Old Vic until 21.08.2010.(7.8.2010)


approx.: 3h and 5 min, with 1 interval

Orlando, youngest son of Sir Roland de Boys:                Christian Camargo
Adam, servant in the de Boys household:                     Alvin Epstein
Oliver, eldest brother to Orlando:                          Edward Bennett
Dennis, Oliver´s servant:                                   Ross Waiton
Charles, Duke Frederick´s wrestler:                         Ron Cephas Jones
Rosalind, daughter of Duke Senior:                          Juliet Rylance
Celia, daughter of Duke Federick:                           Michelle Beck
Touchstone, a clown:                                        Thomas Sadoski
Le Beau, a courtier:                                        Jonathan Lincoln Fried
Duke Frederick, the ursuping Duke:                          Michael Thomas
Duke Senior, the exiled Duke banished by his brother:       Michael Thomas
Amiens, a lord and follower of Duke Senior:                 Richard Hansell
First Lord, companion of Duke Senior:                       Ron Cephas Jones
Corin, a shepherd:                                          Anthony O´Donnell
Silvius, a shepherd:                                        Aaron Krohn
Jaques, a melancholy gentleman:                             Stephen Dillane
Audrey, a country girl:                                     Jenni Barber
Sir Oliver Martext, a country vicar:                        Alvin Epstein
Phoebe, a country girl:                                     Ashlie Atkinson
William, a country youth:                                   Ross Waiton
Jacques de Boys, second son of Sir Roland des Boys:         Richard Hansell
Lords and Foresters:                                        Members of the company
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Musicians:
Music Direction:                                            Stephen Bentley-Klein
Musician:                                                   Shane Shanahan

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



In very short:


Orlando gieves his fate, that his older brother Oliver keeps him from his rightful position as a son of the deceased Sir Roland de Boys.
Duke Frederick had usurped his older brother Duke Senior, who is now living with his followers including the melancholy Jaques in the Forest of Arden, while his daughter Rosalind was allowed to stay with her cousind Celia.
Rosalind and Celia attend a wrestling of Orlando with his ruling brother's wrestler Charles and Rosalind is enchanted by Orlando. After a surprised win he is by his servant Adam warned and leaves him to the Forest of Arden.
Rosalind accused of betrayal by Frederick has to leave and is followed by her cousin Celia and jester Touchstone.

Rosalind, now dressed as a man and under the name of Ganymede, and Celia, under the name of Aliena, and Touchstone buy in the Forst of Arden the shed off the shepherd Corin.

Orlando meets the Duke and men and stays with them. He writes love poems for Rosalind and hangs them on trees throughout the Forest. When Ganymede meets him she offers cure for his love sickness. She askes him to image that she would be Rosalind and get relief from it as he cannot have her.
The shepherdess Phoebe falls in love with "Ganymede", who refuses her affection, while the shepherd Silvius is ignored.
Touchstone is favoured by the shepherdess Audrey over the country boy William.

Jaques the sad gentleman meets Orlando and adds observing comments throughout to play to various characters.

In the forest Orlando rescues Oliver from a lioness who seeks forgiveness from his brother. Oliver meets Celia as Aliena and they agree to marry.


Rosalindpromises to resolve the remaining problems:
Orlando should be united with his love Rosalind.
Phebe has to marry Silvius if she doesn´t want to marry "Ganymede".

After revealing her real identity to Orlando, her father, Phebe and all the others, Jacques, brother of Orlando and Oliver appears informing them that Duke Frederick has repented his deeds. He will return all his rights as a ruler to his brother Duke Senior. The four couple are married in the last scene und plan to return to the court. Melancholy Jaques will stay in the forest for a religious life.
In an epilog, Rosalind addresses men and women in audience to bear the play in mind.