Shakespeare's rural comedy, which features the ever-popular Falstaff.

Director David Toltek writes: " This is the only comedy which Shakespeare set in England. It is a play of mangled language and relationships. The pace is fast and furious. We will be setting the play in the context of an English rural middle class society where the man had his "castle", work, pets, friends, children and his wife (probably in that order of priority!). However, the women are rebelling - they are bored with their lot and, just for the fun of it, begin to make mischief. Apart from the obvious "romp" aspects of the play, in this production we will explore the darker side of human kind. There is a vicious gulling of a foolish fat man including, in Windsor Forest, an actual bodily assault of the poor wretch. The forced, arranged marriage of a pretty, young girl.

There are even hints at racial prejudice with the kaleidoscope of regional accents that the play demands, not to mention a Frenchman who verges on the incomprehensible. And, of course, greed and avarice. The play contains many cameo parts that, without exception, are fun to play. Every single person in the play has failings and once their character defect is identified, the rest will fall into place.

Our Players

George Page - Brian Terry

Mistress Page - Lorraine Ely

Anne Page - Grace Claydon

William Page - Adam Moulder

Frank Ford - Stephen Prater

Mistree Ford - Lesley Curtis-Waller

John - Trevor Jones

Robert - Ray Howes

Sir Hugh Evans - Michael Keane

Doctor Caius - John Gadd

Mistress Quickly - Glenda Abbott

John Rugby - Alec Gregory

Host - Barry Barnett

Fenton - Adam Bagshaw

Sir John Falstaff - Julian Jones

Robin - Jonathan Fincham

Bardolph - David Laws

Pistol - Barry Davis

Nym - Martin Goldstone

Robert Shallow - Alan Ablewhite

Abraham Slender - Dean Marriott

Simple - Jenny Kenyon

Townspeople Debbie Nash, Kate Williamson and Boys & Girls from Brentwood Preparatory School

And Now -

The Merry Wives Of Windsor - from start to finish!

In the village of Windsor, Justice Shallow and his nephew Slender complain to Parson Evans that Sir John Falstaff (from Henry IV, parts 1 and 2) has wronged them, and is after the hand of Mistress Anne Page, who they feel Falstaff is not worthy to marry. Slender, upon seeing Anne, falls in love. Parson Hugh Evans and Shallow suggest he propose to her. He tries, but is overcome with shyness. Evans tells Simple (Slender's servant) to give a letter to Mistress Quickly, a friend of Anne's, asking her to tell Anne of Slender's desires for her. At the Garter Inn, Falstaff worries that he's running out of money, so he hires off his "friend" Bardolph as a bartender, then informs Pistol and Nym that he intends to sleep with Ford's wife and Page's wife, then steal money from them. Insulted, Nym and Pistol refuse to take part; further, they secretly decide to inform the women's husbands of Falstaff's intentions. At the French Doctor Caius' house, Quickly assures Simple that she will put in a good word for his master, Slender. Caius comes home and catches Simple there, and sends a letter with Simple challenging Evans to a duel for playing matchmaker, since Caius himself wishes to marry Anne. Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page receive Falstaff's letters, compare them, and find them to be identical. They, along with Quickly, plot their revenge on Falstaff for being so bold. Pistol and Nym warn Mr. Page and Mr. Ford of Falstaff's intentions: Page trusts his wife to act appropriately, but Ford, always untrusting of his wife, convinces the innkeeper to call him Brook, as a disguise, so that he may converse with Falstaff without him knowing Brook is really Mr. Page. Shallow informs all that Evans and Caius will indeed duel. Quickly comes to Falstaff's room and tells him he can see Mrs. Ford between 10 and 11 am, but that Mrs. Page is more reluctant to see him and therefore deserves to have Falstaff's page, Robin, as a gift. Mr. Ford comes to Falstaff, disguised as Brook. He offers Falstaff money if Falstaff will arrange for him (Brook) to sleep with Mrs. Ford (in hopes of keeping Falstaff from doing it). Falstaff agrees and continues on to insult and degrade Mr. Ford (not knowing Brook is Ford). In a field near Windsor, Caius, incensed, waits for Evans, who does not show. Near Frogmore, Evans, also invigorated (yet nervous), waits for Caius. Caius begins wondering and they both meet and learn that the Host (the innkeeper) told them different locations so that they could not fight. They put aside their differences and vow to get him back for lying to them. At Ford's house, Falstaff shows up to woo Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Page then arrives pretending that Mr. Ford is coming to look for Falstaff. The women convince Falstaff to hide in a trunk, then have Mrs. Ford's servants take it to the Thames and dump it and Falstaff into the river. On their way out, Mr. Ford does indeed show up with other men. They search the house (but not the trunk) and cannot find Falstaff. At Page's house, Fenton promises his love to Anne. Yet, Mr. Page wants her to marry Slender while Mrs. Page wants her to marry Caius.. Quickly, though divided, thinks Fenton is best for Anne. At Falstaff's room, Quickly informs him that Mrs. Ford will see him between 8 and 9 am. Ford (as Brook) shows up and Falstaff tells him what happened and of his next encounter with Mrs. Ford. At Ford's house, Falstaff is again with Mrs. Ford. Again, Mrs. Page comes warning that Mr. Ford is coming (falsely, she believes). Again, he truly is. They decide to dress Falstaff as a woman. To chide Mr. Ford, they have the servants carry out the trunk again, but this time without Falstaff. Mr. Ford, thinking Falstaff to be a witch (his servant's aunt, whom he hates) beats Falstaff (as a she) and chases him out of the house. The wives decide to actually tell their husbands the truth of the proceedings. They all decide to have the wives meet Falstaff at an oak at midnight, then have children dressed as fairies scare him. Mr. Page plans to marry his daughter to Slender in the commotion. Similarly, Mrs. Page plans for Anne to marry Caius during the night. At the Garter Inn (Falstaff's room), Bardolph informs the Hose that three horses he rented to German lords have been stolen.

Evans and Caius, behind the ruse, then separately warn the Host not to rent any horses to thieves posing as German Dukes. Evans and Caius pretend not to know they have already been "stolen". Fenton then convinces the Host to procure a priest to marry him and Anne that evening. Anne's father has told Slender she will be the only person in white at the midnight gathering; her mother has told Caius she'll be wearing green; in fact, she'll be wearing neither and will spy away with Fenton. Falstaff meets Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page at the oak at midnight. The fairies appear, scare off the women, and begin pinching and hitting Falstaff. Caius takes the fairy wearing green; Slender takes the one wearing white; and Fenton takes Anne. All the fairies depart and Mr. and Mrs. Page, Mr. and Mrs. Ford, and others appear to reveal to Falstaff that he is the butt of a practical joke. Mr. and Mrs. Page learn that neither Slender nor Caius married Anne, instead, all learn of Anne and Fenton's elopement. All decide to accept the couple, forgive Falstaff, and go home and laugh about the preceding day's events. Phew!