Jonathan Groff says As You Like It is ‘returning him to freedom of youth’
Jonathan Groff in the RSC’s all-male production of As You Like It (Marc Brenner)
Jonathan Groff has said appearing in the Royal Shakespeare Company‘s all-male production of As You Like It feels lie “returning to the freedom of his youth”.
Groff, known for appearing in Glee, Disney smash Frozen and gay favourite Looking, plays the lead role of Rosalind in the play. It explores masculinity and femininity, with Rosalind spending much of the play pretending to be a man, while also trying to woo male love interest Orlando (played by Elliot Barnes-Worrell), who is in love with Rosalind, not realising she’s standing right in front of him.
The role sees Groff switch between playing a woman in a dress and playing a woman pretending to be a man, before returning to playing a woman in a wedding dress.
Speaking to The Independent, Groff said: “There’s something unleashing for me in just wearing a dress.
“Being a man, playing a woman. It’s returning me back to the freedom of youth I had, when I was six years old, where I would put on dresses and pretend to be women.”
The actor, already an established star of the stage, went on: “I haven’t done it as much as an adult – I don’t know why – but when I was a kid, I was always in a dress.
“And so there’s something about returning here to the countryside and putting on a dress that feels incredibly liberating.”
All-male As You Like It at the RSC
The all-male production of As You Like It is directed by Daniel Evans.
As well as Groff and Barnes-Worrell, it stars Fisayo Akinade as Celia, Gary Wilmot as Duke Frederick and Duke Senior, Caleb Roberts as Oliver, Tim Preson as Phoebe, Giles Cooper as Le Beau, Greg Haiste as Touchstone, Rhys Parry Jones in a handful of roles, Luke McCall as Amiens, Steffan Harri as Gwilym and Syr Osian, Edward Judge as Silvius and Charles the Wrestler, Richard McCabe as Jacques, and Gareth Snook as Adam and the scene-stealing Audrey.
Jamal Franklin, Steffan Hughes, Gareth Kennerly finish up the ensemble cast.
The production is running at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon until 7 November, 2026.
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