A RARE chance to see a classic comedy performed as it was 400 years ago is coming to Arley this month.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will bring William Shakespeare’s As You Like It to the walled garden at Arley Hall on July 17.

The all-male company are on a tour of the UK with the tale of Rosalind, the daughter of a banished duke, who falls in love with Orlando but is also banished by her jealous and usurping uncle.

Cue a dizzying comedy of mistaken identity as Rosalind disguises herself as a boy to escape, then pretends to be a girl in order to counsel Orlando in the art of love, while also accidentally attracting the attentions of a girl who thinks she genuinely is a boy.

And to add to the confusion, all of the parts are played by men.

Greg Baxter, who plays Jaques, Phoebe and le Beau in the pastoral romance, said: “One of Shakespeare’s great comic devices is mistaken identity.

“When you think of great comedies now, it all comes back to that time and Shakespeare – mistaken identity, use of language, playing off each other, wit and physical comedy – it’s comedy gold.

“But there’s also a bit of romance in As You Like It – it’s got a love story as well and we can’t forget that.

“I think a lot of people are put off by Shakespeare but families and kids can come along and really enjoy it because it’s a nice, fun, summer play.”

Cross-dressing confusion is enhanced by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men with four of the seven-strong cast playing women, including Greg.

“It’s fantastic fun and an experience not many men have,” he said.

“But it’s not hammed up, it’s really sincere.

“It’s all about movements and the way we speak – you don’t think of the actors as boys, you think of them as women – it’s a great acting experience.

“We’ve got some beautiful dresses as well, which does most of the work for you.

“We’re a traditional Shakespearian company so this is like it would have been in the 1590s and early 1600s – an all-male company, traditional Elizabethan dress and performed outdoors, which is how audiences would have seen it back then.”

Greg said this is not a common way of performing Shakespeare in our modern age.

“An all-male performance is very rare,” he said.

“I’m not sure why because it does unleash something new in the play.”

Gates open at 6.30pm and audiences are invited to bring a picnic to the performance.

Tickets, priced £14 for adults and £10 for children, are available online at arleyhallandgardens.com or by ringing 01565 777353.