The Merry Wives of Windsor

Review by Martine Silkstone

Last night, I paid my first ever visit to Suffolk’s Thorington Theatre - and what a stunning outdoor venue it is! Nestled among the trees, not far from the coast, it is truly a hidden gem; a theatrical Brigadoon, if you will, appearing only during the summer months to provide entertainment for all during the long evenings.

A little history…

Thorington Theatre’s simple, wooden performance area and tiered seating have been built on the site of an old bomb crater from WWII, the impact of which left a natural amphitheatre in the woods. From such dramatic beginnings, it now offers a tranquil space where you can go to escape and enjoy a show in the fresh air - whether it is music, drama, poetry or something else.

For my visit, it was (award-winning outdoor theatre company) Illyria’s production of ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ - Shakespeare’s farcical revenge comedy which features suspicious husbands, clever wives and a scheming knight in need of money.

Ross Scott plays Sir John Falstaff, the pompous villain who plans to restore his dwindling finances by seducing two married women at the same time - a rather foolhardy plan which soon falls apart, as the wives discover he has written them identical love letters and they conspire to humiliate him through a series of pranks.

Meanwhile, Scott is also fetching in gingham as the sweet Anne Page, a young woman due to be married off to one of three suitors. Her parents each want different men, while Anne herself has fallen in love with the dashing Mr Fenton (the dashing Stuart Taverdale).

This talented actor also plays the jealous husband, Mr Ford, who having learned of Falstaff’s advances to his wife, resolves to catch them out by pretending to be Mr Brook (cue Groucho Mark’s glasses and nose combo).

Taverdale gives a great performance all round and, I must say, reminded me somewhat of Danny Kaye with his natural comic style, his cheeky winks to the crowd and his subtle physicality. Really quite charming.

Meanwhile, Sarah Coyne is (among others) the cunning Mrs Ford and the French doctor hoping to woo Anne, and Christina McTaggart is (among others) her friend and partner-in-plot, Mrs Page.

Finally, you have Magnus Gordon who is simply marvellous in all his roles, but especially as the servant carrying messages and gossip between all involved, and as the Welsh parson - indeed, I could watch him fall into a wicker basket all night.

And that is this show in a nutshell - a vintage farce complete with slapstick, misunderstandings and improbable situations (for example, there’s a scene with fairies and a man in antlers that feels a bit like a cheese dream…)

Throw in two or three subplots involving romance and wrongful dismissal and, well, that’s Shakespeare for you.

And on the whole, Illyria did it well. This was an enjoyable if dizzying performance where five actors covered a wealth of roles, changing costumes in a heartbeat, running round the stage, dashing up and down stairs, and occasionally peering through windows - I was out of breath just watching! You can’t fault their energy.

However…

That relentless energy is where I had just a small issue.

The fast pace - along with an astonishing array of accents - occasionally made it hard to hear the dialogue, and with the Bard you need to hear every word to understand what on earth is happening! If they could slow down a little, allow a little breath to enter the space, then it would be much easier to follow and, ultimately, a more relaxed watch all round.

Still, they had music, dance, laughter and just a little weirdness - all performed in a raw style, in a wooden theatre, while open to the elements - and you don’t get much more ‘Shakespeare’ than that.

And, on a side note, it was wonderful to see the theatre full of people having a great time, enjoying show in the open air on a balmy summer evening in Suffolk.

You can enjoy more shows at Thorington Theatre until the end of August and, after all, the weather is set fair for the next couple of weeks….

The Merry Wives of Windsor was at Thorington Theatre on 10 August.

FOR MORE SHOWS AT THE VENUE, CLICK HERE.

Elsewhere, the Illyria team are now touring with The Merry Wives of Windsor, and dates throughout the country can be found HERE.