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At this point, just over half way through the run of the play, As You Like It was given a 3 week break from performance. This was to give the actors in the Red Company the opportunity to rehearse full time for their second play of the season, A Mad World My Masters and to open that production with a week of performances, before the play went into repertory with As You Like It. David and the rest of the company have been busy with rehearsal, technical rehearsal and previews and have not been thinking about As You Like It during this period. Therefore returning to the play is quite challenging.

The company were called to rehearsal before the show for a line run of the play (for which the actors just say their lines, without movement) and a speed run (for which the actors include their moves but as fast as possible). David found this very useful as it helped him to hear the words of the play again and to be reminded of the way in which the scenes fit together.

David also faced another challenge as during the last rehearsal for A Mad World My Masters Maggie Wells, who plays Audrey in As You Like It, ripped her Achilles tendon. This injury meant that Maggie could not perform in either play. Sonia Ritter (who also plays Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice) has taken over the role and she and David have been rehearsing intensively together in order to develop Sonia’s interpretation of Audrey and to integrate it with the existing production. The fact that David has a new Audrey to work with may cause him to subtly change elements of his performance as he must react to way Audrey is played. Obviously each actress will play the role differently. David has found this very exciting as it keeps his performance fresh. Sonia will also play the role when the company go on tour to Japan and the fact that she is playing the part now will help her and David as they will have longer to develop their stage relationship.

David is very fond of As You Like It and is delighted to be performing the play again. He is now looking forward to performing the two plays in repertory.

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