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Our productions are held at the Brentwood Theatre


Spring 2002 - The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives Of Windsor



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