EODS DRAMATIC SECTION
2005
Merry Wives Of Windsor
by William Shakespeare
Directed by David Parton Allegedly written to order for Queen Elizabeth, said to have had a great liking for Sir John Falstaff, the play finds the rotund knight far more advanced in years than when last encountered in Henry IV. With a confidence in his amorous prowess that belies his greatly increased corpulence, Sir John plots the seduction of two ladies of impeccable virtue, wives of upstanding citizens of Windsor, Messrs Ford and Page. The motive isn't exclusively prompted by his libido, but also by the fact that these two ladies hold the strings of their husbands' extensive purses. He is aided and abetted by Mistress Quickly, another Henry IV survivor, who also acts as pander to the three suitors to Anne, daughter of Mr Page, in the sub-plot. But the two wives were not born yesterday and Sir John suffers a series of hysterically funny setbacks to his nefarious intentions, culminating in his total and very public humiliation.
CAST LIST
Sir John Falstaff - Mike Barber
Mistress Quickly - Anne Young
Mistress Page - Sandra Tomlinson
Mistress Ford - Amanda Sayer
Ford - Sean O'Neill
Page - Tony Bannister
Sir Hugh Evans - Ian Clegg
Dr Caius - Christopher Metcalfe
Shallow - Nick Reynolds
Slender - Barry Smith
Fenton - Gareth Brighton
Anne Page - Jennifer Henley
Hostess of the Garter Inn - Carol Nikdel
Bardolph - Steve Waughman
Pistol - Stan Fillery
Nym - Ronnie Boyd-Steven
Simple - Jo Jollard
Rugby - Darren Heather
Robin - Charlie Sayer, Ben Lindsay & Nathan Visick
William Page - Charlie Sayer, Ben Lindsay & Nathan Visick
