When Rosalind is banished by her uncle Duke Frederick, who has usurped her father's throne, she flees to the forest of Arden where her exiled father holds court. There, dressed as a boy to avoid discovery, she encounters the man she loves - Orlando, similarly forced into exile - and resolves to remain in disguise to test his feelings for her.

'All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players'­

Rosalind, banished by her cruel uncle, travels secretly to the Forest of Arden, where her exiled father holds court. There, dressed as a boy to avoid discovery, she encounters the man she loves - now a fellow exile - and resolves to remain in disguise to test his feelings for her. One of Shakespeare's most sunny, fast-paced and accessible comedies, As You Like It is an exuberant combination of
concealed identities and verbal jousting, burlesque and pastoral dream, reconciliations and multiple weddings.

Used and Recommended by the National Theatre

General Editor Stanley Wells
Edited by H. J. Oliver
Introduction by Katherine Duncan-Jones