Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival opens its 37th season with a bawdy romp, The Merry Wives of Windsor, running June 9 through Sept. 19 on the BMO Mainstage. The work is rumoured to have been directly requested by Queen Elizabeth I, who wanted a play where the portly knight from Henry IV, Sir John Falstaff, is in love.
A Musical Spin on a Classic Comedy
Director Rebecca Northan helms the Vancouver version, the fourth production of this show by the company, this time with a musical spin. “Shakespeare is musical in its essence, so it’s a natural pairing,” said Northan. “If the commission was ‘give us a play with Falstaff in love,’ he completely missed the brief. But he did transplant that well-loved character into something very fun.”
Set in Windsor Castle’s namesake town, the play follows Falstaff as he tries to solve a cash-flow problem by courting two wealthy, married women. Ever the sad sack, Sir John’s plans implode spectacularly as a cast of characters contrive a dizzying array of traps to spring upon the unfortunate knight, leading to silly mishaps all around.
Star-Studded Cast and World Cup Connection
Featuring beloved Vancouver theatre veterans Jennifer Lines (Mrs. Page) and Melissa Oei (Mrs. Ford) as the wives and Ashley Wright as Falstaff, this production also reflects the coming World Cup. Rather than a fallen knight, this Falstaff is a washed-up former soccer star.
“This is my fourth time as the ‘big fella,’ and my third time doing Falstaff at Bard,” said Wright. “The character gets short shrift at the end of Henry IV, Part 2, when he is all but abandoned by Prince Hal. Who doesn’t want to see a larger-than-life big drunk who loves to get into mischief getting into a lot of it?”
Back for her 23rd season, Jennifer Lines thinks giving a musical turn to the play comes at a time when people are hungry for maximum joy. “The poetry of Shakespeare lends itself to the lyric of song, and this cast have all become triple threats — knowing the Bard, and being able to do song and dance,” she said. “A lot of us actually started out in musical theatre, which requires you to embody the character from head to toes, which translates right into more serious stuff. This play really has a lot of shenanigans you have to follow.”
Melissa Oei says shifting from centuries-old verse to modern lyrical delivery fits contemporary communication and helps update the humour. “The music, the setting and the incredible costumes contribute to making sure the text is clear, and that’s important with this particular play,” said Oei. “I now really appreciate how much Rebecca has done to deliver the story in a way audiences can really follow it.”
Macbeth Brings Supernatural Shock This Summer
Leaving comedy behind, Macbeth will bring supernatural shock and awe to the stage this summer from June 11 to Sept. 18. Actor Munish Sharma assumes the mantle of the Scottish Thane of Cawdor, who will one day be crowned king of a cursed, blood-soaked land fraught with violence and betrayal. Sharma admits that the bloody-handed promotional poster for the play might be one of the most shocking in Bard on the Beach’s history.
