15 August – 6 September
The Ralph Fiennes / Theatre Royal Bath Season continues with William Shakespeare’s timeless comedy As You Like It, directed by Ralph Fiennes. The next production in an exclusive season at the Theatre Royal sees a stellar cast including Gloria Obianyo, Dame Harriet Walter, Dylan Moran, Patrick Robinson and Charlie Rowe in the new production directed by Ralph Fiennes.
For Rosalind and Orlando, it is love at first sight, but family feuds are destined to keep the young would-be lovers apart. When Rosalind is banished, she and her cousin Celia escape to the Forest of Arden, where they find that the possibilities for love and connection are infinite.
Rising star Gloria Obianyo plays the role of Rosalind. Gloria recently appeared on screen in the Disney+/Star Wars series, Andor and her stage credits include her prize-winning performance in the National Theatre’s Paradise which was written by acclaimed writer and performer Kae Tempest, who also recently performed at the Theatre Royal as part of the Ralph Fiennes / Theatre Royal Bath Season.
Playing the role of Jaques is Olivier Award-winner, Dame Harriet Walter, whose four-decade stage career has seen her acclaimed for Shakespearean roles on both sides of the Atlantic. Harriet has most recently returned to the UK stage as the titular role in The House of Bernarda Alba for the National Theatre. Last year she finished filming Series 2 of Wool, an Apple TV series created and written by Graham Yost and directed by Morten Tyldum. She was recently seen in the fourth series of the hugely popular HBO series, Succession, stepping back into her double Emmy-nominated role as Lady Caroline Collingwood and also guest starred in season three of Ted Lasso, which she has also been nominated for an Emmy for.
Dylan Moran, who plays the role of Touchstone, has had a thirty-year career interspersed with award-winning worldwide stand-up comedy tours and much-loved screen appearances. Since winning the Perrier comedy award in 1996, he created and starred in the BAFTA-winning series Black Books, and appeared on screen in Notting Hill, Shaun of the Dead, The Witcher and Stuck.
Patrick Robinson plays Duke Senior and Duke Frederick. He has appeared regularly with the RSC and National Theatre with roles including Edmund in King Lear, Banquo in Macbeth and Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing. He is well-known for his long-running role as Ash in the BBC series Casualty, with television appearances in some of the most popular series including Death in Paradise, The Last Kingdom, The Sister Boniface Mysteries and Vera.
Charlie Rowe made his first appearance on screen in the 2007 movie The Golden Compass and recently starred on TV in Slow Horses and Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. Charlie will play Orlando.
The world class creative team includes set designer Bob Crowley, costume designer Fotini Dimou, lightning designer Peter Mumford, sound designer Christopher Shutt, songs by Ilan Eshkeri and Tim Wheeler, score by Ilan Eshkeri, video design by Roland Horvath, hair and make-up design by Susanna Peretz and physicality/choreography by Fin Walker.
As You Like It follows the world premiere of Grace Pervades, a new play by David Hare which opened the season, where Ralph Fiennes led the cast as legendary actor Henry Irving. The production, which was directed by Jeremy Herrin and starred Miranda Raison as Ellen Terry, has just announced its transfer to the West End appearing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket for a limited run from April 2026.
As You Like It, directed by Ralph Fiennes appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Friday 15 August to Saturday 6 September. To book tickets contact the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or book online at theatreroyal.org.uk
Photo credit: Marc Brenner
