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As You Like It

As You Like It

About This Event

The HandleBards bring Shakespeare’s exploration of love and artifice to the open air of Felton Park. Through a nomadic spirit and a stripped-back aesthetic, the company distils the complexities of the Forest of Arden into a potent, visceral experience. This performance captures the enduring strength of live theatre, where the boundary between nature and narrative dissolves.

Tickets for this performance are being sold by the venue, to book yours click here!

Pedalling from venue to venue with all of their set, props and costumes on the back of their bikes, the HandleBards are a four-strong troupe of actors who are spending the summer bringing environmentally sustainable Shakespeare to venues across the UK.

Join the troupe for a fantastically funny bicycle-powered production of Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’.

What’s the play about? Well – Rosalind and her cousin Celia flee to the Forest of Arden, where they bump into Rosalind’s love interest Orlando. However, Rosalind is disguised as a young man. Cue some local Shepherds getting involved and the stage is set for a wild ride of wooing, hilarious mistaken identity and the odd wrestling match.

Praise for previous HandleBards performances…

★★★★★ – “Explodes with energy and is a genuine treat from start to finish.” – The Stage

★★★★★ – “Five stars just don’t seem enough…” – The Sunderland Echo

Accessibility

We’re working with Extant and Enhance Facilitator Chris Campion to fully integrate visually impaired access with our 2026 tour of As You Like It. All performances will be accessible without the need for audio description or adapting the show, thanks to Extant’s tailored approach to integrating access, alongside a bespoke Touch Tour.

If you’ve ever been trying to open a stubborn picnic package mid-show you’ve almost certainly been able to tell the different between an epic swordfight and someone being hit with a bike wheel by sound alone. That’s exactly how we’re integrating accessibility, by being even more intentional with the audio elements of the show from the ground up – we won’t be changing Shakespeare’s text, and you can expect the same joyous HandleBards show.

‘Very descriptive and it allowed me to create a visual picture in my head.’

At Felton Park, we’ll also be offering a Touch Tour before the show. The touch tour will be at 4:45pm and you can book your place on the tour alongside a ticket during check-out on the venue ticketing page here. We recommend arriving at the venue 15 minutes before the touch-tour.

Accompanying show notes and a digital programme can be downloaded here.

The notes encapsulate the visual aspects of the show and are written with access for visually impaired audiences at the core. The Touch Tour offers exploration of set, props and costume: offering an immersive space in which to imagine the work before the show begins.

Notes on Performance

For outdoor performances: in case of rain, please don’t bring umbrellas as they block sight-lines for other audience members. Ponchos and raincoats are just as fetching, so please wear these instead.

For full ticket information and venue accessibility please see the venue’s website.

Description supplied by the event organiser.

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The HandleBards

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Frequently asked questions

As You Like It takes place on Friday, 7 August 2026 at 19:30.

As You Like It is held at Felton Park in Newcastle upon Tyne (Felton Park, Felton, NE65 9HN).

The HandleBards is performing at As You Like It.

Tickets for As You Like It can be booked via handlebards.com using the "Check Tickets & Live Prices" button on this page, which opens the official booking site in a new tab.

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