Jonathan Groff makes his Royal Shakespeare Company debut in As You Like It
Groff will star alongside an all-male cast, including Heartstopper star Fisayo Akinade
By Aaron Sugg
Jonathan Groff has been announced as making his Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) debut playing Rosalind in an all-male production of As You Like It.
Directed by Daniel Evans, the Hamilton star will take on the role at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 26 September to 7 November 2026.
Groff will star alongside an all-male cast, including Heartstopper star Fisayo Akinade, who will play Celia.
“Holy fucking shit” – Jonathan Groff on being cast for As You Like It
Groff said in a statement: “‘Holy fucking shit’ – that was the subject of the email I sent to Daniel Evans in response to his email asking me if I would be interested in playing Rosalind in an all-male production of As You Like It at the RSC.”
The 40-year-old actor added: “In 2019, I went to Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time to take in the historic town and see a gender-swapped production of The Taming of the Shrew. The experience of seeing Shakespeare performed so brilliantly in Stratford hit me in a very primal way.”
“Since that stirring experience in Stratford, I’ve spent the last six years doing mostly theatre in New York. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to come back to Stratford and perform Shakespeare for the first time in my life,” Groff continued.
“The early prep work I’ve been digging into with Daniel and Patsy Rodenburg, their Emeritus director of voice, has already got me in a state of ecstasy,” he concluded.
“I have admired Jonathan for over twenty years” – Daniel Evans praising Groff as he casts him for As You Like It
Evans said he has long hoped to work with Groff, praising the actor’s stage career from Spring Awakening to his recent Broadway successes.
“I have admired Jonathan for over twenty years, from his role in ‘Spring Awakening’ to his Tony award-winning performance as Franklin Shepard in Merrily We Roll Along and, most recently, as Bobbie Darin in Just in Time’” Evans said.
“Jonathan has a rare ability to connect deeply with an audience. His generosity, his emotional availability and his total commitment are exactly the qualities I wanted for our Rosalind.”
Tickets for As You Like It go on sale, officially, on the 18 March 2026
On the collaboration between Groff and Akinade, the director described Akinade as “wonderful” and said the pairing would bring fresh energy to Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy.
Tickets go on sale for priority bookings on 2 March and public booking on 18 March 2026 via the official RSC website.
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