Shakespeare’s Stage: “As You Like It” with a Local Twist
We just left Shakespeare’s Globe after a phenomenal performance of “As You Like It, we cannot help but feel thrilling connections to Soulton.
Fabulous performance of #asyoulikeit at @The_Globe
“O you memory
Of old Sir Rowland!” pic.twitter.com/HFwiEM51Mm— Soulton Hall (@SoultonHall) October 27, 2023
Literary Threads: From Soulton to “Rosalynde”
As You Like It is based on Thomas Lodge’s 1590 novel Rosalynde. Intriguingly, local records link Soulton and that book.
Sir Rowland Hill, a former owner of Soulton Hall, is linked to the “old Sir Rowland” repeatedly mentioned As You Like It (Hill was a relative of Shakespeare’s, and it was a creative choice on Shakespeare’s part to rename the ‘Old Sir John’ in the source material to ‘Old Sir Rowland’).
Soulton’s Timber Takes a Bow
The connection deepens with a remarkable fact about the reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in the late 20th century actually incorporated timbers from Soulton Wood! So, as the actors danced and delivered their lines beneath the iconic open-air roof, we couldn’t help but imagine these very timbers once standing on the grounds of Soulton Hall itself.
A Performance Steeped in Local History
Knowing this local connection added an extra layer of richness to the experience.
Watching As You Like It at the Globe became a performance where echoes of Soulton’s past resonated within the very walls we stood within. It’s a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the remarkable connections that can span time and place.
