The Merry Wives of Windsor
Directed By Eric Stevens

The one thing everyone knows about "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is that Shakespeare wrote it at the command of Queen Elizabeth I, who wanted to see a comedy about Sir John Falstaff in love. Like so many other things that "everybody knows", this idea is based on very dubious historical evidence - it was first put forward 1 00 years after the play was written.

Whatever its origin and conception, "The Merry Wives" remains one of Shakespeare's most enduring and popular comedies, as the B.A.T.S. discovered when they performed it in these gardens fifteen years ago. Five survivors from that cast are appearing in this production, though only Hugh Pritchard is repeating his 1973 role. Hugh has the distinction of being the only member to have appeared in every Shakespearean production by the BATS, and this is our 17th!

"Macbeth" was performed in the comfort of the De La Warr Pavilion, but all the other 16 productions have defied the vagaries of the English Summer here in the Manor Gardens, thanks to the support and encouragement we have had from you, our faithful and appreciative audience. We hope that you will enjoy this light-hearted romp through the middle-class society of fifteenth century Windsor, which is presented, to quote from another of the Bard's works "all for your delight".

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Download the program for the show:

Click here to download (.PDF Adobe Acrobat format, approx 1.2 MB)

Supplied by: Robert Kay