Merry Wives of Windsor, Illyria Theatre Review
Written by Hollie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Picture the scene: it is a gloriously sunny Sunday afternoon and you are sitting outside on a picnic blanket sipping a Gin and Tonic whilst you await the arrival of a knight, a doctor, a husband in disguise and two housewives. Yes, Illyria Outdoor Theatre Company are currently touring around the U.K. with a production of William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor.
The Merry Wives of Windsor is one of Shakespeare’s lesser known comedies and it brought light and laughter to Leicester’s De Montfort Hall this weekend. There are many characters within this show and only five actors in the company so at times it was difficult to figure out who was who, but that was part of the appeal in watching this particular production.
The production was an easy watch on a summer’s afternoon and although a number of the cast were new to working with Illyria this year, they had a range of acting and singing talents between them.
Through the upstairs window of the Tudor house facade appears the beautiful Anne Page with her hair plaited and her flowery dress, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Page, and she is on the hunt for a man to marry. She has a few suitable and unsuitable suitors that she meets and greets along the way. Who will she decide on marrying in the end and why?
But the main protagonist here is Sir John Falstaff, a sly and selfish man with many enemies who can only think of himself and his own desires. He has decided that he would like to seduce two Windsor housewives at the same time in order to rebuild his own dwindling fortune. Ross Scott plays greedy Falstaff and what an incredible actor he is. His role as Falstaff felt very natural and almost innate within him but at the same time he was able to offer moments of humour throughout his different roles on stage.
The two ladies, played by Sarah Coyne and Christina McTaggart, find out that they have both received similar letters from the same man. Falstaff underestimates both ladies as they club together to fool and embarrass him and the play portrays strong powerful women and girl power in a good light.
Director Oliver Gray provides the audience with some witty one-liners as well as some singing (which I thought was brilliant!) creative scenery and clever costumes. Oliver has directed 84 productions for Illyria and is also their founder. He has been closely involved in supporting the new Charter for Outdoor Theatre with actors’ union Equity, which means that actors are now subject to better than minimum standards when it comes to pay and working hours.
Although this is not one of Shakespeare’s most captivating and well-known plays and at times it is a little eccentric, a merry afternoon was had by the whole audience as there were many titters, particularly when there were a couple of slip-ups as this added to the amusement. The whole cast were brilliantly funny and the dodgy accents and sub-plots also added to the comedy and confusion.
This production of ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ continues to tour outdoor theatres across the U.K. until September 2025.
★ ★ ★ ★
