In the recent National Theatre’s production of As You Like It, which hasn’t been seen at this theatre in 30 years, there is no doubt that the star of the show is the ingenious set design by Lizzie Clachan. Â
As we enter the theatre, we see the actors already on set, bustling around the desks, lamps, and chairs of what seems to be a trading floor complete with printers that spit out multicoloured papers and 10 second lunch breaks.  Post-It notes fly about as the actors shuffle from one desk to another with some financial purpose.  There is a break for a Mexican wrestling match, which I suppose could be a corporate morale building effort, but it did seem a bit random.  Of course, this merely sets up the banishment of Rosalind and Orlando to the forest of Arden.  And this is where my jaw dropped and the audience was heard to collectively sigh, “Wow!"
As the lighting begins to fade from harsh office lighting to muted cool forest tones, we first hear a clatter that soon reveals itself to be the entire office set which is chained together - the chairs, tables, lamps, printers  - all ascending up to form the trees of the forest, with green post-It notes as leaves.  It is a sheer stroke of genius to transform the cold, impersonal office furniture to the cold, impersonal winter forest in which the characters are forced to hide.  Onstage singers, some sitting in the dangling chairs, provide the sounds of the forest from flapping birds’ wings to wind rushing through trees to a haunting melody.  Honestly I could have watched them and the set for hours.
Unfortunately, the performances didn’t live up to the set.  Rosalie Craig looks every bit the part of the strong Rosalind, maybe too strong.  Perhaps slightly more Beatrice in her jibes with Joe Bannister’s milquetoast Orlando and not entirely giddy with love.  Perhaps the most well-known speech, “All the world’s a stage,” was delivered by a more tormented than sad Jaques played by Paul Chahidi.  And Mark Benton was engaging as Touchstone, especially in the scene where the actors in wool sweaters play sheep.  (And quite well, I might add.)  Patsy Ferran’s Celia is delightful and bubbly.  And all in all, it was an entertaining evening.  But the night belonged to the designer.