SPOILER: This will not be a spoiler for most, but you should be aware that Brian Blessed plays two roles: the Duke Senior and Duke Frederick.
Of the many reviews of As You Like It seen here, I have not noticed any that praised Brian Blessed in the dual roles of Duke Senior and Duke Frederick. He was breathtaking. Blessed is a recognized national treasure for his booming voice and over-the-top characters, but here he brought life to subtle passages, sometimes overlooked, and conveyed the contrast between the two brothers, complicated as siblings can be, as I have never seen by two different actors.
His ease with the language made it equally understandable and natural to the point that the viewer can instantly enter into the characters' thoughts. His grasp of the meaning behind the words is so eloquently communicated that I sorely wished he was also playing the part of Jaques! I would love to hear his interpretation of "All the world's a stage".
While his Duke Frederick brings nuance to the machinations of the villain, perhaps most impressive is his Duke Senior. The gentle wisdom and grace of this Duke is something not expected of this bombastic actor, but it reveals the great actor himself and opens the door of our expectations to see much more of him in future.
Of the many reviews of As You Like It seen here, I have not noticed any that praised Brian Blessed in the dual roles of Duke Senior and Duke Frederick. He was breathtaking. Blessed is a recognized national treasure for his booming voice and over-the-top characters, but here he brought life to subtle passages, sometimes overlooked, and conveyed the contrast between the two brothers, complicated as siblings can be, as I have never seen by two different actors.
His ease with the language made it equally understandable and natural to the point that the viewer can instantly enter into the characters' thoughts. His grasp of the meaning behind the words is so eloquently communicated that I sorely wished he was also playing the part of Jaques! I would love to hear his interpretation of "All the world's a stage".
While his Duke Frederick brings nuance to the machinations of the villain, perhaps most impressive is his Duke Senior. The gentle wisdom and grace of this Duke is something not expected of this bombastic actor, but it reveals the great actor himself and opens the door of our expectations to see much more of him in future.