Canadian First Nations performer Cliff Cardinal returns to Sydney Festival for the first time since he presented the exceptional Huff in 2017, this time with a provocative take on Shakespeare’s As You Like It in which nothing is held sacred. 

As You Like It or The Land Acknowledgement offers the unvarnished truth of the state of the reconciliation process between Indigenous communities and colonial settlers in Canada. Cardinal presents a devastating yet laugh-out-loud examination of land acknowledgements as cultural and political practice. When the curtains rise, prepare for Shakespeare as you’ve never seen before and likely never will again.

Subversive, unflinching and bubbling with dark humour and raw emotion, this is a work made to explode the echo chamber we live in and ask: how does what we choose to see in the theatre impact the way we understand the world? 

VIEW PROGRAM

Join us for a post-performance Q&A with Cliff Cardinal, hosted by Sydney Festival Creative Artist in Residence Jacob Nash on Sunday 5 January. 

★★★★ "A must-see from one of the most important playwrights and performers in Canada."

– Toronto Star

"A liberating night at the theatre. Brutally funny and honest."

– The Globe & Mail