AS YOU LIKE IT Adelaide College of the ARTS XSpace Until 12 Jun 2010 Review by Brian Godfrey “All the world’s a stage...”, but at the X Space all the stage is a world - the world of Shakespeare in the Australian outback. Using third year (with a smattering of second year) acting and first year design AC Arts students, director Terence Crawford has produced a wondrous re-imaging of this Shakespearean pastoral comedy with melancholic undertones. The audience sit in and around the action and are even used at times by the actors on a gloriously designed Aussie-themed set consisting of sandy desert colours, living gum trees, dead branches, corrugated iron and chip board (not to mention the grazing “sheep”). The lighting design cleverly matches the hues of desert sand and skies, while costumes are a very clever mix of modern and Thirties/Forties styles (with a touch of Fascism for Duke Frederick (Matt Gregan)). Some attempts at modernizing and popularising the Bard just don’t work, but this one does in every aspect. The language and intention of the text remain completely in tact, as does the clarity of the characters. But, Crawford delivers some very nice humorous touches, such as the shepherds Corin (Sam Calleja) and Silvius (Tom Cornwall) using great Aussie accents and Pheobe (Brittany Plummer) delivering her lines in true Kylie Mole/Effie style. Traditionalists and purists may object, but experimentation and new ideas are what keeps theatre alive and evolving. Calleja, Cornwall and Plummer play their characters with great comic flair. The large ensemble cast all deliver fine performances, but there are some stand outs. Ben Crawford as Orlando has the combination of dashing youthfulness and love-lorn wimpishness down perfect, whilst Amy Victoria Brooks gives an extremely strong performance as the gender-changing Rosalind. Rebecca Calandro is a sheer delight as Celia, with Tom St Jack wonderfully channelling every obsequious public servant in his role as Touchstone. Special mention must be given to Sara Lange who plays Jacqueline with just the right amount of melancholy and never delves into the depths of manic depression, which would be so easy and wrong in a role such as hers. Seeing promising up and coming talent such as this (both on stage and behind the scenes) certainly bodes well for the Australian entertainment industry and makes this version of “As You Like It” a mid- winter’s night’s dream.