Jonathan Groff, the Tony Award-winning actor, will lead the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in an all-male production of As You Like It. The engagement follows his Broadway run in Just In Time. It marks Groff’s first formal appearance with the RSC. The season opens in Stratford for a five-week run beginning on September 28.
The production revives an early modern convention by using an all-male cast. That casting choice echoes how plays were staged in Shakespeare’s era. At the centre of the comedy is Rosalind, who flees courtly danger, retreats to the Forest of Arden, adopts a male disguise and tests love and identity through wit and disguise. Groff will play that central role. The cast also includes Fisayo Akinade as Celia.
Why the production matters
The RSC’s decision to mount an all-male As You Like It foregrounds questions of performance, gender and historical practice. The casting will prompt discussion about authenticity and adaptation in contemporary theatre. It also places a high-profile American stage actor at the centre of a major British classical season.
For the RSC, the production represents a return to experimentation with early modern staging conventions. For Groff, it is a notable career turn from Broadway to a leading role with one of Britain’s flagship classical companies. For audiences, the staging offers a clear invitation to reassess a familiar comedy through a deliberately historical lens.
The decision to present an all-male ensemble acts as both a historical nod and a contemporary theatrical experiment. Directors and actors use this casting to probe questions of gender, voice and performance tradition while offering audiences a reframed view of familiar material. Under the direction of Daniel Evans, the production aims to blend reverence for tradition with a modern sensibility that addresses present-day questions of identity and love.
Rosalind and gender play
The company highlights Rosalind as the focal point for those inquiries. Male-performing Rosalind foregrounds layered acts of disguise already central to the play. It also intensifies scrutiny of how gender is signalled through speech, movement and costume. The choice foregrounds theatrical artifice while inviting debate about authenticity and representation.
Critics and audiences may interpret the casting as a commentary on the history of performance. Others will view it as a way to test the elasticity of Shakespearean comedy under different gendered dynamics. The production deliberately stages those tensions, leaving questions about voice and desire at the centre of its dramaturgy.
The production deliberately stages those tensions, leaving questions about voice and desire at the centre of its dramaturgy.
Casting, creative team, and early preparation
The casting emphasises the play’s interrogation of performance and social roles. Directors selected actors for their capacity to navigate rapid shifts in register and identity. Casting choices foreground technique, vocal control and physical versatility rather than contemporary gender identity alone.
The creative team combines period research with modern rehearsal practices. Designers consulted archival records of male-performed Shakespeare to inform costume and movement. The production’s dramaturg outlined specific moments where stagecraft intentionally reveals the artifice of disguise.
Rehearsals prioritised cross-disciplinary training. Actors worked with voice coaches to map vocal contrasts between Rosalind and her disguise. Movement directors developed a repertoire of gestures that signal both concealment and command.
Early workshops tested audience perception of intent. Scenes were staged with minimal props to isolate the actors’ choices. Directors used these sessions to calibrate tone, ensuring the shifts between comedy and introspective moments remained clear.
Historic performance precedents shaped preparation without dictating interpretation. The team treated earlier celebrated portrayals as reference points for technique and rhythm. Creative decisions aimed to open new lines of inquiry into theatricality while preserving the play’s textual integrity.
Who and what
Jonathan Groff has joined a new Royal Shakespeare Company production under the direction of Daniel Evans. Early rehearsals have included work with voice coach Patsy Rodenburg. The production seeks to balance playful, joyful staging with sustained engagement with contemporary themes.
Background and creative approach
Evans has described the project as an effort to open fresh lines of inquiry into theatricality while respecting the play’s text. He cited a long admiration for Groff’s stage presence and emotional openness as factors in casting. The approach combines traditional rehearsal methods with intensive voice and movement work.
Casting updates
Actor Fisayo Akinade has been confirmed in the role of Celia. The RSC has said it will announce further casting and creative team appointments in due course. Producers characterized the existing casting as intended to broaden the play’s emotional range and contemporary resonance.
Practical details and ticketing
The company has not released specific performance dates or ticketing information. The RSC stated that scheduling and ticket-release details will be shared publicly when ready. Prospective audiences are advised to monitor official RSC channels for confirmed announcements.
Prospective audiences are advised to monitor official RSC channels for confirmed announcements. The run in Stratford will begin on September 28 and will last five weeks. The Royal Shakespeare Company has scheduled member priority booking and public sales in advance.
RSC members will have priority access beginning on March 2. Public bookings will open on March 18. Jonathan Groff’s final scheduled performance in Just In Time is on March 29. He will then move into preparations and rehearsals for the Stratford engagement.
Audience expectations
Audiences can expect a production that pairs comic warmth with thematic depth. The RSC’s practice of reimagining Shakespeare informs the staging. The company draws on historical performance methods while engaging contemporary debates about identity and representation. The result aims to offer both entertainment and material for public discussion.
Production outlook
The result aims to offer both entertainment and material for public discussion. As the Royal Shakespeare Company releases further casting and creative details, ticket-holders and theatre observers will assess how the revival reinterprets the comedy.
Jonathan Groff’s casting introduces a high-profile crossover from Broadway. Combined with Daniel Evans’s direction and the company’s established reputation, the staging is positioned as a significant cultural moment in Stratford’s season. Further announcements from the company are expected to clarify casting and creative choices.