'The Merry Wives of Windsor' is not one of Shakespeare's best plays by any stretch, it's not even among my favourites of his comedies, with Falstaff's character writing being less appealing and complex than in 'Henry IV Parts 1 and 2'. It is though extremely entertaining, with lots of sparkling comedic dialogue, memorable characters and interactions and the final scene has heart. Any production from the Globe Theatre is always watched with big anticipation.
Mostly, this 2019 production of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' meets the high expectations, though falls short of exceeding them. It is entertaining and accessible, even with the 1930s updating (which actually worked a lot better than expected (with the play's themes being relevant back then), and a lot is great about the production. It also had room for improvement, if one major directorial decision wasn't as misjudged and if one performance was as strong as the rest.
Am going to get the not so good things out of the way. The allusion/suggestion of the resolution being a moral comment on our relationship with nature, despite sounding interesting on paper, was rather half-baked and not particularly sincere.
Did also find that Jude Owusu was bland as Ford, a character that is meant to be cruel and unapologetically jealous and Owusu came over as too nice and too careful somewhat (which jars with the text) so all the spying efforts make little sense.
Fortunately, the rest of the performances do make up for it. With Pearce Quigley having an absolute ball in the title role, with lots of vigorous brio, unforced comic timing and not overdoing the lecherousness, certainly didn't find Falstaff impossible to sympathise with. Bryony Hannah and Sarah Finigan are amusingly conniving, while Boadicea Ricketts and Zach Wyatt are incredibly charming individually and together. The latter duo's chemistry is the most believable one and has a lot of heart.
Moreover, the comedy works very well. With the highlights being the riotous second half of the final act and the hilarious escape of Falstaff. Yet the heart does remain, which is easy to forget in a play like 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'. The 1930s setting is lavishly and handsomely recreated in the elegant sets and enormously colourful and elaborate costumes. The choreography is done with a lot of spirit and energy, in the choreography itself and the way it's performed. Shakespeare's text is as fun, poetic and thoughtful as ever. Loved the jazzy music which is very cleverly and wittily incorporated.
Concluding, doesn't always succeed but a lot of fun on the whole. 8/10.
