Jun 21, 2026
Theatre Review: As You Like It. Outdoors at the Richard Glanville Playing Fields, Westbury-sub-Mendip, Somerset.
The little girl lying on a blanket in front of the actors’ space told you everything you needed to know about the HandleBard’s production of As You Like It. She twisted with joy at Orlando and Rosalind’s teasing banter and flirtatious exchanges, laughed out loud as Charles the Wrestler posed and strutted before her, and cheered when Orlando defeated the WWE style bully. Above all the little girl and several children sitting on the grass in front the action were engaged throughout due to the sheer energy of the cast and the high comedy they brought to the pastoral drama where love conquers all.
On a warm summer’s evening in Westbury-sub-Mendip’s Richard Glanville Park an audience of some 200 souls sprawled out on the grass in fold-up chairs, blankets and coats to watch Shakespeare’s comedy set in the Forest of Arden. The bard’s most famous assertive, intelligent and proto-feminist Rosalind (Isobel Donkin) and her cousin Celia (Sarah Bulmer) are banished to the forest by the evil Duke (Josh Radcliffe) on pain of death. Meanwhile Orlando (also played by Josh) seeks refuge in the forest where inevitably the sparring couple eventually meet. Along the way they encounter some eccentric characters such as Jacques, Phebe the shepherdess, Silvius, another shepherd and a very camp Le Beau.
The cast of four doubled up in numerous roles which makes you wonder due to the number of characters they play if they become slightly schizophrenic going to bed as one person, waking in the middle of the night as another and breakfasting as another. For the audience the frenetic changes of character, split second costume and prop changes has a feeling of impromptu theatre which in Shakespeare’s many peopled story is confusing – if also enjoyable. A kind of calculated crazy chaos which is why the children (and the little girl) were so enthralled.
Bicycles and all things cycling were a theme since The Handlebards are known for cycling from one outdoor venue to another throughout their summer tour of the country’s green and pleasant parks and gardens. I did notice the cast all had fine leg muscles – a physical tribute to some of the sharp inclines and lung busting hills of Somerset and Dorset and beyond. Bicycle horns and bells, water bottles and push bikes were all used to underline the company’s cycling credentials although cycling as a mode of transport for the audience didn’t appear to have caught on judging by the numbers of cars parked on the field. I did pedal the seven miles on my bicycle – and needed a large glass of wine to recover when I arrived from a bar where it was only £3 a glass. The playing fields in Westbury-sub-Mendip are managed by a Trust who on the night provided a barbecue, toilets and the bar meaning apart from a roof you had all the requirements of a theatre. OK – maybe not the plush seats – but tickets for outdoor productions are a fraction of most theatres.
Directed with considerable panache and speed by Mark Collier, the production’s cycle-themed design was designed by Lucy Green while Guy Hughes composed the music – there were the songs from the original script, while the show relied on the talents of the production team which included Tom Jordan the fight director – for Orlando and Charles’ wrestling match.
It is hard not to be impressed by the energy of the cast since they had already cycled many miles to get there that day. Joel Benedict was a wonderfully camp Le Beau but also an excellent and foolishly overconfident wrestler in his blue leotard. Sarah Bulmer must have had another life north of Hadrian’s Wall at one time since her range of voices to people her various characters included Caledonian as part of her skill set – and as a warmup she got the audience’s attention at the beginning of each act – and also as a sort of mistress of ceremonies. And her role as everyone’s favourite cousin Celia was as slick as a well-oiled set of derailleur gears.
There was a touch of Lady Bracknell crossed with Wodehouse’s Aunt Agatha and even Yootha Joyce’s sharp edge to her voice (George and Mildred) to Isobel Donkin’s very original performance as Jacques. He adds some prosaic philosophy to proceedings exemplified in his ‘Seven Ages of Man’ speech. Isobel was perfect as Rosalind. Indeed, perfect in all roles.
Josh, I have mentioned already but to switch so neatly from The Duke, to Orlando, Touchstone, Corin and Adam meaning I would be careful of accepting a phone call from him as you never know who will be speaking. Radcliffe completed the exceptional cast. The HandleBards may not be to the taste of purists as since I followed the script huge cuts are made to speed up the approximate two hour show in order to fit in much physical comedy. The audience certainly enjoyed their take on the play – and the little girl laughing away on her blanket I’m sure would have given it five stars.
Harry Mottram
The HandleBards are on tour with two of Shakespeare’s plays this summer – As You Like It – and also Macbeth. More details and dates at https://www.handlebards.com/
They have more dates in Somerset while you can catch Macbeth at Blagdon on July 1st, and As You Like It in Corsham in Wiltshire on June 24th.
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