The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2019 - Issue 26

LIKE IT bite theatre after his younger brother Orlando but refuses to, denying him education, training, and property due to him. Oliver treats Or- lando like one of the servants. Rosalind’s father, Duke Senior has been banished by his broth- er Duke Frederick, so he flees to the Forest of Ardenne with a group of loyal men, to live a Robin Hood lifestyle. As such Rosalind grows up with her uncle, and cousin, Celia, whom she truly loves and is inseparable from, which is why she has permission to stay by Frederick. However, she misses and longs for her father. Rosalind and Orlando fall in love at a wrestling match where he defeats a noble wrestler. Rosalind confides in her cousin only. For some reason, Rosalind is banished by Duke Fred- erick as well so she decides to go find her father in the Forest of Ardenne and, as the two are inseparable, leaves with Celia, though for their safety, disguises herself as a shepherd-boy called Ganymede with Celia as a shepherdess called Aliena. They, however, take an amount of wealth with them. All this is much to the fury of Duke Frederick. He orders Orlando to lead the man-hunt of finding Celia, threatening to confiscate Orlando’s land and property should he fail. His brother urges him to not fail at his task, not out of brotherly support, but because he does not want to give up any of his wealth if Or- lando did. However, before Orlando leaves, their late father’s most trust- ed servant, Adam, informs him of his brother’s plot to have him killed and then escorts him on his man-hunt. Weary and hungry for food he happens upon Duke Senior’s camp and is given food and lodge for him and Adam when the Duke finds out whose son he is. Sir Rowland de Bois had been a dear friend to Senior. Meanwhile, Rosalind happens upon a lovesick William who pines for a condescending Audrey. They use their wealth to buy dwellings, with these two characters now part of their par- ty. Eventually, Rosalind (well, Ganymede really) bumps into Orlando, who has riddled the forest with love notes for Ro- salind and confides in him of his love for her. Ganymede claims he’s an expert at exorcising love from love- sick people and they agree to undertake the process which in- cludes Orlando using Ganymede as a substitute to Rosalind, confessing his forever love and treating him as though he were Rosalind; a clever but witty trick devised by Rosalind. Gany- mede intervenes when he witnesses Audrey being exception- ally cruel to William. However, this results in Audrey falling madly in love with Ganymede’s bravado. Days later of Orlando using Ganymede as a surrogate to Ro- salind, he claims to be wearisome of the process, so Rosalind as Ganymede promises to end the charade and promises Audrey that Ganymede will wed her ‘if Ganymede were to wed a woman’. She arranges all to meet at a wedding being planned for the next day and they agree. The next day, Rosalind has all couples present and they stand before Duke Senior and his men. Ganymede acquires a prom- ise from Audrey that if she were not able to marry Ganymede Photography by Topher McGrillis (c) RSC Sophie Khan Levy with company