Iconic Norwich Cathedral’s centuries-old Cloister will be transformed into the Forest of Arden for this summer’s Shakespeare Festival as the rustic comedy As You Like It takes to the stage.
After wowing audiences last year with sold-out performances of Macbeth, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men are this year returning with one of the Bard’s best-loved comedies for the open-air festival which is always a summer highlight at the Cathedral.
Packed full of music, comedy and celebration, Shakespeare’s As You Like It Is a heart-warming tale of true love and identity that takes its audience back to nature.
Banished to the Forest of Arden, Rosalind and Celia, the noble Orlando, and the usurped Duke Senior and his courtiers all set up new lives amidst the trees. Free from the constraints of their former lives, lovers tussle, fools spar, family bonds are challenged, and everyone wrestles with what it really means to be yourself. In exile they become exultant as true love and true identity is found in the forest.
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men are a modern-day incarnation of the Bard’s own travelling troupe of players, and they will be performing As You Like It just as it would have been played out in Shakespeare’s day – with an all-male cast, full Elizabethan costumes and traditional music and dance.
The company have spent more than 15 years entertaining audiences across the country and beyond, and at Norwich Cathedral they have previously performed The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth.
The Norwich Cathedral shows are always something of a homecoming for Peter Stickney as he grew up nearby in Saxlingham Nethergate, went to Long Stratton High and Hewett School, and first developed his love of theatre while acting in high school shows.
Keeping people safe continues to be the number one priority at Norwich Cathedral and the Cathedral has achieved Visit England and Visit Britain’s official We’re Good To Go mark, which highlights Covid-secure venues.
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men’s open-air production is ‘See it Safely’ compliant and will adhere to government and industry Covid safety guidance, ensuring every effort is made to protect audiences and company members at all times.
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will perform As You Like It in Norwich Cathedral’s Cloister on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 July 2021 at 7pm. On both nights, doors will open at 6pm for people to enjoy the beautiful surrounds of the Cloister before the show.
Tickets cost £20. Concessions (over 60s, NUS and under 16s) £18. Seating is provided but unreserved.
To book, visit cathedral.org.uk/shakespeare
