Opening Oct. 18, all Beatles-lovers are encouraged to visit The Grand for their production of As You Like It.

Daryl Cloran adapted and directed this production that has been performed in Chicago, Washington, Vancouver, and now to London’s well-known Grand Theatre. As You Like It will be on at The Grand, featuring some of the greatest Beatles hits, until Nov. 2. Students are reminded to book their tickets in advance to eliminate the fear of missing out!

After the Sarnia-born director adapted the Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost to great success, he was given the question of what he would do if he “hypothetically” had the rights to The Beatles music. Cloran had to dream big and imagine how The Beatles music would pair with Shakespeare.

Approximately 24 Beatles songs combined with the Shakespeare of As You Like It shapes a love story between Rosalind and her lover Orlando.

“I think the characters from the play are all still there, the relationships are still recognizable of As You Like It,” Cloran said. “But we have substituted songs instead of monologues to continue the story.”

Although one would believe that there are certainly challenges in trying to fit the songs into an existing production, Cloran explained that some of them just fit perfectly and were a match.

“There are times that it felt so easy to slide in The Beatles songs because semantically it was in exactly the right place,” Cloran said.

Students can expect a fun two hours and thirty minutes of Beatles music that tells the story of this work of Shakespeare. A night to de-stress from reality and enter the world of Shakespeare, The Beatles, and love. Cloran hopes to continue growing this production after its time at The Grand and has been in contact with a few other theatres.

For those who haven’t dived into too much Shakespeare in the past, As You Like It is a great gateway to The Bard. For students who are either Beatles or Shakespeare lovers, this is one that you simply don’t want to miss. If you’re planning a trip to The Grand this October or early November for this production, don’t forget to look out for one of the director’s favourite songs in the production, “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” by The Beatles.

There is still a student rush this season which includes special pricing for students that can provide a valid student ID. Instructions on how to book a student ticket at The Grand can be found online under the Ways to Save subheading.