As You Like It: A Radical Retelling – Church Hill Theatre

Crow’s Theatre presents the Scottish premiere of the aptly named As You Like It: A Radical Retelling at the Edinburgh International Festival; written by Indigenous Canadian playwright Cliff Cardinal, this is a work that is confrontational, provocative and polarising in the most spectacular way. 

This piece highlights the marginalisation and injustices the Indigenous people have faced and still face today.  Demanding our attention, we are forced to interrogate the authenticity, intentionality, and effects of our allyship – the pointed delivery is shocking and bold, but completely imperative to the message of the show.  The audience is largely involved with a great usage of direct address – the lead performer often stopped the show to chastise audience members for being on their phones or talking through the performance – creating an interesting dynamic between the audience and performer, blurring the line between the two.

The production and set design was stark and minimalistic, allowing the audience to be fully confronted by and immersed in the show’s powerful message.  Cardinal’s work doesn’t need flashy high-budget design – the work speaks for itself, and while not always easy to take in, it didn’t want or have to be.  This work is crafted in such a way that we have to actively listen and engage in order to receive and understand the true context of Cardinal’s writing.  If you didn’t like this performance, you weren’t listening.

Keeping in line with the comedy of the original Shakespeare, there are many amusing moments throughout, but the jokes are often flipped on the audience or taken to an unexpected place.  This subversion keeps us on our toes – should we really be laughing?  We are faced with harsh realities and thought-provoking truths, delivered in an intelligent, sometimes almost brutal, manner which is exactly what the audience needs.  Cardinal manages to successfully achieve his goal – we get what is coming to us.

As You Like It: A Radical Retelling runs until the 23rd of August at the Church Hill Theatre, with tickets available at https://www.eif.co.uk/events/as-you-like-it-a-radical-retelling

Reviewer: Jessie Martin

Reviewed: 20th August 2025

North West End UK Rating: