As You Like It

Downing College East Lodge Garden

Arden, 1970. All is not well at the court of Duke Frederick. Centring the bellowing beginnings of the gay liberation movement, audiences follow Rosalind, Celia and Orlando’s escape, alongside their trusty clown, Touchstone, to the Forest of Arden. As they acclimatise to their new environment and the unique, unfamiliar model of society it represents, we learn alongside them, aided by ‘tongues in trees, books in the running brooks’. Disguised as Ganymede, Rosalind, alongside their fellows, is enabled to choose family, to choose love, and to choose freeing expression: but at what cost? 

As You Like It was written around 425 years ago, and yet what it teaches us remains arrestingly relevant in 2025. Self-expression, the sometimes frightening complexity of human relationships and friendships, and (as we choose to emphasise) the liberation that comes through queer joy are not simply topical themes, but experiences that no one should be denied. As we follow Rosalind and their fellows' path through the forest, we are also tracing a journey toward found family and a future characterised by opportunity.

To help carry this message forward in a practical and meaningful way, we encourage you to donate what you can to Mermaids. Every donation made through this page will allow this fantastic charity to provide more trans, non-binary and gender-questioning young people and their families with vital support, giving them the freedom to explore their identities and thrive.

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