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Title: As You Like It (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Series) by David Tennant, William Shakespeare, Norman Rodway, TBA ISBN: 0141800062 Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks Pub. Date: 04 May, 2000 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 2 List Price(USD): $17.95

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Average Customer Rating: 4

Rating: 4
Summary: Lively reading but one or two faults on Arkangel recording
Comment: The Arkangel series' has only one rival set but a formidable one. that one is put out by Harper Collins and stars Keith Michell, Vanessa Redgrave and co-stars an appropriately dry-voiced Max Adrian as Jacques and a lively-voiced Stanley Holloway as Touchstone. In general, and this is true of most of this new series, the Arkangel actors seem a lot younger (the Jacques of Gerard Murphy perhaps too much so) and give a more modern (i.e., less lyrical) reading to the text.

I think the Arkangel might appeal more to younger listeners, but both sets are quite good and it would be difficult to choose between them. Niamh Cusack is a quite believable Rosalind, while Stephen Mangan (Orlando)does what he can with a rather silly role, although he does miss a good moment in his blandly delivered retort to the Wrestler about mocking him too soon. I could wish Clarence Smith's Touchstone had a bit more "character" in his voice. Victoria Hamilton is quite charming as Celia. I was quite taken with the almost Ronald Coleman voice of Philip Voss as Duke Senior.

The music, neither Elizabethan nor modern but more like American western, is nevertheless appropriate. The singers on the older recordings, however, have far superior voices. An annoying feature is the tendency to overdo the sound effects. Once we establish a woodland or a garden by a few bird tweets, it is really unnecessary to continue them over the dialogue as is done here.

Since the director's choice in these recordings is to have no narrator to supply stage directions, the listener without a text can get quite lost during all the references to "you" and "you" in the denouements of the last scene. Perhaps they can take a hint from the Branagh recordings on Bantam and simply have the character call the addressee by name. Here we do get some non-verbal sounds from the other actors by way of identification, but they are of minimal use. Of course, since this series is near completion, it is too late to suggest a change in policy. But please take note, future directors.

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