ACT 1 SCENE 3
Rosalind, daughter of the exiled Duke Senior, and her cousin Celia, daughter of the usurper Duke Frederick, have just come from a wrestling match in Duke Frederick’s court. The match was between Charles the Wrestler and Orlando de Boys (youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys, a lord who was faithful to Rosalind’s father). Orlando, seeking financial freedom from his oldest brother, wins the match and goes to collect his winnings, but Duke Frederick denies him, citing his father’s faithfulness to the banished Duke as reason not to pay him. Rosalind, wanting to reward both the win and his parentage, gives him all that she can, a chain from her neck. Orlando, overcome with gratitude and Rosalind’s beauty, barely manages to speak two words together to her, but immediately falls in love. Rosalind is impressed with the ‘young gallant’ who was steadfast in his pride of his father. Rosalind and Celia talk about Orlando, before they are interrupted by Duke Frederick, who has decided to also banish Rosalind.
UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE
Rosalind and Celia, now disguised as Ganymede and Aliena, run away to the Forest of Arden. Duke Senior lives with ‘many merry men with him, and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England’. His loyal lords, including the musician, Amiens, and the melancholy traveller, Jaques, keep a court with him ‘exempt from public haunt,’ finding ‘tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.’ Orlando too has run away from the court, escaping the wrath of both Frederick and his brother. All have gone to the forest seeking ‘liberty, and not…banishment’.
The Players:
Rosalind - Rosie Lewis
Celia - Holly Truslove
Orlando - Josh Pointing
Amiens - Rory Blincow
Duke Frederick / Jaques - Nick Edgeworth
Other Lords : Kathryn Raw, Kimberley James
Under the Greenwood Tree - Music and adapted lyrics by Laura Marling for the RSC, cover arrangement by K. Raw and R. Blincow
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