The Merry Wives of Windsor

There is always a risk with an outdoor production, but then this has been a glorious summer, what better place to sit than alongside an open-air swimming pool. As Friday dawned, the humid air promised more than sunshine, fortunately the rain held off until after I had got home. Good Luck for Saturday Evening!

It is a long time since I have watched a Shakespeare play apart for excerpts from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a comedy half hour youth version of Macbeth. This show was a play that I had never seen and had no idea of the story so I hoped that I would quickly get to know it.

Shakespearean language has a rhythm to it and this needs to be spoken well for the audience to listen and follow. We were lucky here that the diction and projection was so good as this did help with identifying which characters were which, as we had been advised that the casting was gender blind.

We meet most of the principal characters early in the play, Mistress and Master Ford respectively Suzanne Tuck and Matthew Dear gave us excellent performances, nicely performed with good interaction between each other and other cast members, great diction, Matthew giving two different accents for his two different characters, Suzanne gave good facial and physical presentation of Mistress Ford. Cast opposite to them as Mistress Page and Master Page were respectively Emma Picknell and Jess Dalton. Emma’s portrayal of the other scheming wife alongside Mistress Ford in handling Falstaff was nicely drawn and well played also with clear dialogue. She was paired with Jess who portrayed her husband, her costume giving an impression of a gangster, a well performed role. There were two other principal roles, that of Mistress Quickly rather stately performed by Carolyn English bringing an authority to the role. There wouldn’t be the story it is without the personality of Sir John Falstaff and this was a larger-than-life portrayal by Daniel Rushforth full of movement. Physicality and facial expression so well to the fore and a dominant personality filling the stage, good timing and comedy with an interesting accent.

The many supporting roles were led by Phoebe Fuller as Sir Hugh Evans, this was a nice portrayal of the vicar, with a good Welsh accent held throughout and entertainingly played, she was matched by the entertaining humour of Chris Butterly as Dr Caius, his timing, accent and comedy was brought to the audience with great skill and was greatly appreciated by all, a lovely performance. There were measured performances from Graham Chapman as Justice Shallow, Tim Bold as the Host of the Garter Inn, Bella Knight as Anne Page/Robin and George Kenwood as Fenton/Pistol. The cast was made up with Laurette Watson, Amy-Lee Harris, Anna Poorna and Jo Henry.

This was an entertaining and well performed production, the dialogue flowed smoothly, the comedy was clearly played and entertainingly portrayed, much use was well made of the various entrances through and around the audience. I particularly liked the way that dialogue continued as entrances were made to the stage. The set was simple and effective with the backcloth between the two magnificent trees containing a curtained doorway centrally set, a very essential and useful prop/entrance. Incidental music composed for this production by Barry Howe and the various songs were played most timely and effectively along with the occasional sound effect. Costume was set in the present day and cleverly advised at the start that the play was set along-side a Lido so that the lifeguard costume was not out of place. The red of the Ford’s costume added a touch of colour as did Falstaff’s Costume which suited the character well. The addition of ‘fairy’ costumes brought that scene to life. Props were few but effective and the few blocks for set design were sensibly placed and used, finally towards the end of the evening this open-air setting was nicely lit.

I wasn’t sure what to expect as this was my first visit to Peterborough Mask Theatre, we both agreed that we enjoyed this production and if you ask, yes, I did understand the story, thank you.

 

 

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