The Merry Wives of Windsor
Synopsis
The fat knight Sir John Falstaff imagines that Mistress Ford and Mistress Page are both taken with him and so, attracted as much by their husbands’ money as their personal charms, he decides to woo them both. But the women are up to the old lecher’s tricks and turn the tables on him with a series of humiliating assignations, midnight terrors and a very damp, extremely smelly laundry basket. Gutsy, colloquial and bustling with vivid characters, The Merry Wives of Windsor is a brilliantly constructed farce and the only comedy Shakespeare set in his native land. It is also the ancestor of English bourgeois comedy and gave birth to a tradition that reaches down to the modern TV sitcom. The production made merry with the relationship between the life of middle-class Elizabethan England and the late medieval period in which the play is set.
Top Cast
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Christopher Benjamin
Sir John Falstaff
Serena Evans
Mistress Page
Andrew Havill
Master Ford
Gerard McCarthy
Master Fenton
Sarah Woodward
Mistress Ford
Nathan Amzi
Peter Simple
Gareth Armstrong
Evans
William Belchambers
Master Slender
Philip Bird
Dr. Caius
Ceri-lyn Cissone
Anne Page
Barnaby Edwards
John Rugby
Peter Gale
Justice Shallow
Michael Garner
Master Page
Gregory Gudgeon
Nym
Paul Woodson
Pistol
Sue Wallace
Mistress Quickly
Edward Holtom
Robin
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Christopher Luscombe
- Screenplay & Story
- William Shakespeare
- Original Score
- Nigel Hess
- Original Title
- The Merry Wives of Windsor
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 15m
- Production Studios
- Shakespeare's Globe
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Christopher Luscombe
William Shakespeare
Nigel Hess
Department Leadership Roster
Christopher Luscombe
Director
Nigel Hess
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Merry Wives of Windsor
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Merry Wives of Windsor about?
The fat knight Sir John Falstaff imagines that Mistress Ford and Mistress Page are both taken with him and so, attracted as much by their husbands’ money as their personal charms, he decides to woo them both. But the women are up to the old lecher’s tricks and turn the tables on him with a series of humiliating assignations, midnight terrors and a very damp, extremely smelly laundry basket. Gutsy, colloquial and bustling with vivid characters, The Merry Wives of Windsor is a brilliantly constructed farce and the only comedy Shakespeare set in his native land. It is also the ancestor of English bourgeois comedy and gave birth to a tradition that reaches down to the modern TV sitcom. The production made merry with the relationship between the life of middle-class Elizabethan England and the late medieval period in which the play is set.
Who directed The Merry Wives of Windsor?
The Merry Wives of Windsor was directed by Christopher Luscombe.
Who stars in The Merry Wives of Windsor?
The principal cast of The Merry Wives of Windsor includes Christopher Benjamin, Serena Evans, Andrew Havill, Gerard McCarthy, Sarah Woodward.
When was The Merry Wives of Windsor released and how long is it?
The Merry Wives of Windsor was released in 2011 with a total runtime of 2h 15m.
Who composed the musical score for The Merry Wives of Windsor?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Merry Wives of Windsor was composed by Nigel Hess.