The Ralph Fiennes / Theatre Royal Bath Season continues in new production of Shakespeare’s comedy 'As You Like It'

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.

Image - Theatre Royal Bath, Gloria Obianyo and Ralph Fiennes, credit Matt Humphrey

Directed by Ralph Fiennes, the stellar cast for As You Like It includes Gloria Obianyo as Rosalind, Dame Harriet Walter as Jaques, Dylan Moran as Touchstone, Patrick Robinson as Duke Senior/Duke Frederick, Charlie Rowe as Orlando, Sam Alexander as Le Beau/First Lord, Hannah Azuonye as A Lady-In-Waiting/A Lord in Arden, Matt Ray Brown as Dennis/A Lord in Arden, Michael Brophy as Corin, Imogen Elliott as Phebe, Matt Gavan as Sir Oliver Martext/A Lord in Arden, Amber Grappy as Audrey, Emilio Iannucci as Jack de Boys/An Attendent in Court, Amber James as Celia, Paul Jesson as Adam, Nitai Levi as Amiens, Jake Neads as Oliver, Richard Pryal as Charles/William and Ethan Thomas as Silvius, with Will Kerr as understudy.

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.

Ralph Fiennes’ distinguished stage work is matched by performances in some of the greatest films of our time. The winner of a Tony Award for playing Hamlet, he has worked extensively in theatre, where his many credits include Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III and The Master Builder. Last year he starred in the title role in Shakespeare’s Macbeth alongside Indira Varma as Lady Macbeth, with performances in Liverpool, Edinburgh, London and Washington DC. His numerous film roles include Conclave, The Return, a BAFTA Award-winning performance in Schindler’s List, The English Patient, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Constant Gardner, Skyfall, the Harry Potter series of films, In Bruges and The Dig.

Ralph Fiennes directed and performed a brand-new stage adaptation of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets which opened in Bath in May 2021. The production welcomed audiences back to live theatre after the pandemic when the Theatre Royal reopened, before touring, transferring to the West End and being filmed for the BBC.

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