William Shakespeare: As You Like It (Recorded live at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre) (2010)

I was torn between awarding this production four or five stars, finally opting for four.

On the positive side, it is a highly competent production with very few false notes. The actors are uniformly good (without being excellent-more on that below), and it moves along at a nice brisk pace, completely avoiding the heaviness and misplaced solemnity of lesser productions. It's also a huge plus that it is a record of an actual stage production, meaning the text survives virtually intact, and the sense of live occasion is vividly recreated.

What gives me pause, however, is the lack of truly stand-out performances among the principals. Only Tim McMullen's Jaques strikes me as truly inspired casting, as he has the requisite charisma to carry a role that is most successful when the performer is able to generate audience sympathy from force of personality alone. Touchstone is a similar type of role, and while I certainly find Dominic Rowan's Touchstone competent (and even quite amusing at times), he is not as memorable as he could (and should) be. There is little comparison between him and Lewis Gordon's Touchstone in the CBC production (sadly, very difficult to find on DVD), much less Alfred Molina in Branagh's film version (who manages to make a huge impact, despite having a substantial number of his lines cut).

While it would be an exaggeration to say Jack Laskey's Orlando grates, his propensity for inserting little micro-pauses in the middle of lines (presumably to make them seem spontaneously generated) quickly becomes a predictable mannerism, ironically making the performance seem more studied, not less. Naomi Frederick's Rosalind is, in my view, better, but not a stand-out. This production plays very much as an ensemble piece when, quite frankly, I think it has to be carried squarely on the shoulders of the actress playing Rosalind for it to have maximum impact. Both Roberta Maxwell (CBC) and (somewhat surprisingly) Bryce Dallas Howard (for Branagh) are better in this regard. Laura Rogers' Celia, however, among the smaller parts, is a bit of a stand-out.

In sum, I enjoyed watching this, had a smile on my face throughout, but didn't really feel any deep emotional connection to the performance. I suspect I would have enjoyed it more had I actually been in the audience. The CBC production (assuming one can find it and can overlook the poor image quality) remains my favorite currently available *As You Like It* on DVD, and Branagh's severely truncated film version is also enjoyable in its own way (and successful on its own terms). The old BBC production and the Olivier film are not even in the running as far as I am concerned. For the teachers: the DVD does have full subtitles.

This is the way I imagine the Globe in Shakespeare's day. A simple stage with minimal effects. The audience members were pushed up to the stage since every ticket counted towards the bottom line. The stars of the DVD were the actors -as it should have been. No special effects. The costumes aided the actors, but didn't distract from fine acting. The words of Shakespeare and the actor's talents transported the audience to a royal court or a forest.

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The precise nature of this unique setting enhances the audience participation to a marked degree, an element that is utilised at every suitable opportunity by the actors. The lines are delivered with a knowing fluency that nicely bridges the gap between the Elizabethan use of the language and modern comprehension of that usage.

Music and song is effortlessly woven into the production, and the naturalness of the non-professional singing also adds to the veracity and charm of the event.

I use the word 'event' to describe this production and recording as an 'event' is the over-riding feeling of this very vibrant production/performance which sets it apart from all other versions that I have previously seen.

The actors and acting are both of a high standard throughout, and whatever minor quibbles one may have about either of those two considerations, one is constantly reminded throughout that ';the play's the thing' and on this occasion the play is made to come alive most successfully and enjoyably.

The recording does full justice to this with all words and actions clearly caught.

I would suggest that this disc in either format, Blu-ray or DVD, deserves serious consideration as a potential purchase.

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