Prepare to set foot in the '80s as the students of Visakha Vidyalaya are all set to rock the stage in "Like You Like It", a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's As You Like It. Guaranteed to have you dancing in your seats, it is a mashup of Shakespeare and John Hughes (re: The Breakfast Club), that follows the story of Rosalind as she attempts to woo Orlando. 

Director Chalana Wijesuriya is supported by Dimitri Gunatilake handling music and vocals, and Shonaka Ranatunga who's handling the choreography. 

Life Online recently caught up with the cast. 

Sashini Mudalige, as Orlando Bateman 

Tell us about your character. 

He is the star wrestler and the most popular guy in school. Orlando's parents passed away in a car accident on the way to one of his wrestling matches. So initially he is very depressed and lonely and questions his friendships and even goes so far as to stop wrestling for a year. He's plagued by this image that surrounds him and struggles to get back to normalcy even though he is still grieving his parents' death. He comes to understand that the people he associates with aren't really interested in his wellbeing but are gaining popularity through him. Nobody understands that he's not the stereotypical jock that leads a perfect life, and he is as lonely and confused as every other teenager if not more because of his parents' death. But then he finds this sense of acceptance from Rosalind and together through their feelings for each other they understand that being yourself is all that matters. 

How did you prepare for the role? Is the character's personality similar to your own? 

I've played several male roles before, so it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. Also, there aren't many adaptations available so we have had to do most of the characterization on our own. Orlando is quite similar to my personality because he tends to show this calm and collected exterior even though he feels the complete opposite inside. However, the complexity of Orlando's character is something very unique to me and because we are of similar ages, it's a lot easier to relate to his problems and how he reacts to them. How I depict Orlando's behaviour is very similar to how I would behave in real life, for the issues he faces is quite similar to what we as teenagers have to face and since his personality is quite similar to mine I would just think in terms of how I would react to a certain person or event as "Sashini". It is challenging though, as an actress I enjoy portraying other people and their characteristics. So having to tell a story through a character that is so similar to me is a little frightening but exhilarating at the same time. 

Yalindee Ratnapala, as Rosalind Duke 

Tell us about your character. 

She is the shy girl with a big crush on Orlando Bateman, but she has never been able to talk to him because she is afraid. Her best friend is Celia who is the principal's daughter and who is the complete opposite of her. After a series of events, Rosalind goes undercover as Corey, and she is able to FINALLY talk to Orlando. She learns that hiding behind a disguise isn't as easy and fun as it may seem. 

How did you prepare for the role? Is the character's personality similar to your own? 

I knew the original play that "Like You Like It" was adapted from, so the story was not new to me, however this musical comedy did have some major differences that I love. I took most of my references from Molly Ringwald and '80s high school comedies, otherwise it was mostly me going with the flow doing what I felt my character would or wouldn't do. I don't believe that I'm shy, but yes I have had countless times where I haven't been able to talk to people or do things because I was afraid or it didn't seem cool enough, so I believe Rosalind and I do have things in common. I mean if I could actually get to lead a double life, count me in any day! 

Theruni Indrapala, as Walter "Touchstone" James 

Tell us about your character. 

I  play Touchstone also known as Walter James in "Like You Like It". I would say my character is your typical pervert and geek but at the same time, Touchstone is quite a nice guy. Even though he tries a lot to be in the ''IN'' crowd and tries to get the girls he wants, he knows his true friends and will help them when needed. Touchstone is also a determined character, if he wants something (or someone) he'll do whatever it takes to get what he wants, even if he has to risk his life or even if he has to force someone to give him a chance to see how he really is and when he realizes things and he knows that 'it's just not right', Touchstone will accept it, figure things out, and then he'd change his ways. 

How did you prepare for the role? Is the character's personality similar to your own? 

Touchstone resembles many characters in TV series like Joey in FRIENDS and characters in movies like "16 Candles" or "Pretty In Pink". These helped me build up that pervy, sleazy character. That is mostly how I prepared for Touchstone. I was told to be myself and sometimes once I got into my character, that did not mean that I am entirely like Touchstone, but then yes I would say I have some similarities with Touchstone. Touchstone is weird like me but in a different way and we both have that same bouncy cheerfulness and the 24/7 annoying personality. I wouldn't say that I have Touchstone's exact determined character but I work equally hard if I want something badly. 

Danuki Perera, as Sylvie Feldman 

Tell us about your character. 

I'm playing Sylvie. She's a senior at Courtland High School. She's got a work study job at the mall with her best friend Phil. She reveals her true feelings for Phil but the response she receives is quite unexpected. But it all turns out like you like it. 

How did you prepare for the role? Is the character's personality similar to your own? 

Sylvie loves to break into dance, which was a whole new experience for me and thanks to the directors, I'm more confident in playing my role. Sylvie is a very bubbly and energetic character like me but she undergoes many mood swings which is why I love playing her role. 

Sachini Wijewardena, as Oliver Bateman 

Tell us about your character. 

Oliver Bateman is Orlando's resentful 19 year old brother. He's the truancy officer at Courtland High School. Oliver has always lived in the shadow of his younger brother and has always felt neglected or forgotten. He hides his insecurities behind a façade of confidence. He's quite moody and constantly jumps back and forth between cold indifference and anger. Even though Oliver is initially the villain, he goes through a transformation and finally radiates beauty both inside and out. 

How did you prepare for the role? Is the character's personality similar to your own? 

Oliver and I don't have much in common, but we share certain insecurities about body image and self esteem issues that I'm sure are relatable for a lot of people. Oliver is painted as the bad guy but his actions can be justified. Through the course of the play we find out new things about Oliver and his struggles, and we learn to reevaluate our perception of him. His complexity as a character really appeals to me, and the fact that he's not your stereotypical villain helps me identify with Oliver and how he is misunderstood. Oliver is the subject of hate or sometimes even pity. Realizing that he is worthy of a second chance and the acceptance of others has helped me prepare for this role with direction from our directors and the support of our cast. 

Ama Jayasinghe as Celia Duke 

Tell us about your character. 

Celia Duke is the daughter of the principal of Courtland High School. She is a very sassy and a feisty character. Also, she has a very fashionable personality unlike the others. Celia is very straightforward, sarcastic and hates to be ignored. She is Rosalind's best friend and cousin. Celia helps her friend find her true love Orlando. Even though, she is a very sassy and a sarcastic person, her heart is filled with kindness. 

How did you prepare for the role? Is the character's personality similar to your own? 

First of all, we do our stretches, and vocals before we start rehearsing. I personally don't think that I can relate to my character but I'll try my best to do so. Being on stage, acting, singing and dancing all at the same time is quite hard, but I'll try my best to help in making this production a success. 

Shehara Gunaratne, as Audrey Shepherd 

Tell us about your character. 

She's a high school senior. She's the Queen Bee and an insufferable rich bully, but is secretly more vulnerable than anyone else in the story. Audrey is the mean girl, similar to the insensitive girlfriend from "Sixteen Candles" and the villain in "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". Though she is named Audrey, she shares some similar, nasty traits with Phoebe from "As You Like It". She is snarky and insensitive towards others' feelings, at least until the story's conclusion. She always expects to get what she wants and wants to be seen as the "perfect girl". 

How did you prepare for the role? Is the character's personality similar to your own? 

It was actually quite difficult to get into character at first because I'm actually a very quiet person in real life and I find it hard to be mean to everyone in my cast. I kept smiling when reading my lines and I had to keep reading the script over and over again to completely understand Audrey. I watched "Sixteen Candles" because Audrey's personality was a little similar to the insensitive girlfriend in it. The tricky part was adding depth to the character, because the end of the story is about breaking past their stereotypes and even though Audrey is one of the show's antagonists, she finds a deeper, more open part of herself. After all this research, I've managed to fall in love with her character and I'm very confident in my role as Audrey! 

Siyum Thuyacontha, as Phil Lipschitz 

Tell us about your character. 

Phil is a senior in high school who has a work study job at Sausage on a Stick in the mall. He's a very sweet guy who is also bit of a geek. He loves watching movies and TV shows and is also in love with singers from the '80s. He's clueless and naive for the first part of the play, but is self confident. He, like all the other characters, goes through a transformation in the mall. While Phil could be viewed as a stereotype, we were encouraged to not give into the typical characteristics when portraying them. 

How did you prepare for the role? Is the character's personality similar to your own? 

I prepared for the role by watching movies from the '80s like "The Breakfast Club". Since Phil was so obsessed with movies and TV shows and singers, I just had to check them out and I realized why Phil was so passionate about it. Since it's a musical, we had to learn how to act, sing and dance all at the same time and I was never a good dancer, so I practiced the moves constantly along with the singing. I'd like to think that I'm not as clueless and naive as Phil but I think the way he acts with his best friend is exactly the way I am with my best friends. The only difference being he sticks to only one friend. So I guess we have some similarities because we are both teenagers, but for the most part he is an entirely different person. 

Hiruni Herath, as Jackie West 

Tell us about your character. 

My character is Jackie West. I'm an aging rockstar who's grasping at the last threads of popularity. The gig that I've gotten at the mall might seem beneath me but that's the norm in my life now. I'm hung up on the fact that my boyfriend left me for a younger woman. That's the theme of my song as well. I can't comprehend the fact that anyone would want to leave me because I have all the looks, and even though it is fading I am still popular enough. Jackie West, at first glance is not a complex character. But like all other characters in the musical she also has a hidden, secret side to her. 

How did you prepare for the role? Is the character's personality similar to your own? 

We have been doing character studies since February and I still haven't gotten a proper grasp on Jackie West. I understand the basic concept behind portraying her but bringing her up on stage is another matter altogether. Jackie is a diva. That means she's very outgoing and sure of herself. I'm a shy person except around those who I am comfortable with, so that's another hurdle that I have to overcome. Confidence is key in portraying Jackie and posture plays a main role.

Like You Like It will go on boards at the Bishop’s College Auditorium on the 25th and 26th of May from 7:30PM onwards. Tickets are priced at Rs. 2000, Rs. 1500, Rs. 1000 and Rs. 750 (balcony), and are available at the Bishop’s College Auditorium and Visakha Vidyalaya.