As You Like It - Programme

All the world’s a stage and aren’t we better for it?
In a shift change from our last production, As You Like It is celebrated as Waterdale’s first Shakespeare
play in over five years. This hilarious comedy has been years in the making for our Director -
Waterdale Alumni Daniel Cooper which has been paired perfectly with original music from Shelley
Dunlop. What was first envisioned as only including a handful of songs has blossomed into a full set,
showing off the talent and versatility of our cast. The infectious joy this production has encompassed
has been an absolute pleasure to watch come together.
The production team have excelled in their creativity, care and commitment to the cast and to each
other. From the vision boards of the costuming to the creation of individualised practise tracks; the
production team have woven a stunning adaptation of this Shakespeare classic. We’re proud to
showcase strong female protagonists and diversity in our cast and production team.
It's rewarding to see great friendships begin, strengthen and blossom. The cast have been a pleasure
to work with and we look forward to the next time they call Waterdale home. We're excited to be able
to provide a platform for first time, returning and seasoned Waterdale performers to build and showoff
their skills and enjoy great experiences.
Thank you to all our volunteers and the Waterdale committee. The amount of work that goes behind
the scenes to make this possible is incredible. You are all superstars! For anyone interested in helping
out - please get in touch, we are a warm, welcoming bunch and would love some extra woman and
man power to put on bigger and more shows!
Thank you and enjoy As You Like It
Fiona Boyle and Matilda O'Riley
Co-Producers
As You Like It was not a show I was expecting to direct this year. Shakespeare is rarely done in
amateur theatre and if it is, it’s one of the other (excellent) comedies. Your Twelfth Nights, your
Much Ados or, most likely of all, your Midsummer Night’s Dreams. However, I’ve always wanted to
take a crack at As You Like It. There’s just something special about this comedy of love, foolery and
transformation.
For example, it has one of, if not the greatest, female characters in a Shakespeare play in Rosalind.
She is one of the cleverest, wittiest and (definitely for the time) subversive characters. Her
transformation into the male disguise of Ganymede is a freeing experience, allowing her to unleash
her true self without having to worry about the rules of a patriarchal society. It is noticeable that
Rosalind not only pursues her own love interest, but also tests to see if he will accept her as the
clever and brilliant woman she is. She is also the only character to both see the ridiculousness of
falling in love and still embrace the joy of doing so. As such, she is the heart and soul of the play.
To highlight these transformative and transgressional themes, our setting for this production is
inspired by 1960’s Australia (although other eras are referenced), a period associated with change,
subversion and progress in civil liberties. We’ve also taken great pride in including original music by
the amazingly talented Shelley Dunlop, which mostly takes inspiration from the folk-rock musicians of
the time, such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. It’s always been my belief that Shakespeare’s plays are
incomplete without music and dance.
Lastly, I would like to thank the rest of the incredible team who have worked on this production.
From the hidden but essential hard, behind the scenes work of Waterdale and the crew, to the
wonderful cast and prod team who have had to put up with my eclectic brain. I hope that our As You
Like It is to your liking, and brings you joy in these strange times.
Daniel Cooper
Director