We take a look at what is being said about this summer revival of Shakespeare’s comedy.
WhatsOnStage: *** “Under the even-handed direction of the venue’s deputy artistic director Sean Holmes, what emerges here is a completely serviceable and entertaining evening. Where the cast could be mired down in the shows various tricksy schemes and episodic structure, they are able to mine comedic moments for well-earned laughs and physical beats.”
London Theatre.co.uk: **** “Under a summer night sky at the Globe, the forest scene is raw with the natural elements; Falstaff seems riddled with fear as the fairies in disguise begin to perform their rituals. It is moments like these that the Globe is at its most spellbinding. So, if you’re looking for a night of riotous mischief, this is one trip to Windsor you can’t miss.”
The Guardian: **** “Even the admirable narrative clarity of Holmes’ staging can’t quite unravel the messy fifth act that – with tricks and faeries in a wood and Sir John lamenting that he has been turned into an ass – disconcertingly overlaps with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which, the RSC’s favoured timeline suggests, was written in close proximity. Holmes sensibly points up these parallels with a better-known piece for this season but it is finally the play that loses a fifth star for a joyous production that is a perfect summer night’s revel for tourists and citizens alike.”
All That Dazzles: *** “Sean Holmes’ staging offers up a genuinely thought-provoking response to the Shakespearean comedy that is so frequently discarded as ‘just a very silly play’. Fouracres’ leads from the front in a spotty production that is, at the end of the day, a good bit of fun.”
The Standard: **** “This Shakespearean curiosity has been most handsomely and thoughtfully mounted.”
The Stage: *** “Director Sean Holmes and a first-class ensemble make Shakespeare’s comedy sparkle”
The Upcoming: *** “Watching The Merry Wives of Windsor feels like stepping back into a different era. It does drag a little, and the play doesn’t really have much emotional diversity, so it can feel a bit flat at points, but it is a fun adventure into Elizabethan England, and it is beautifully designed.”
West End Best Friend: *** “The Merry Wives of Windsor is a colourful and often diverting romp which will liven up many a summer evening at the Globe, and brings fresh insights to this rarely seen play.”
The Reviews Hub: **** “And the production raises questions of its own about the nature of morality. The comfortable conclusion that “What cannot be eschewed must be embraced”, where everyone makes merry together, is subtly undermined. The laughter is mixed with a sense that human emotions are not so easily controlled. Falstaff replies enigmatically to Page’s platitudes: “When night-dogs run, all sorts of deer are chased.””
British Theatre Guide: “It is not the easiest plotting to keep track of (especially when a pillar often stops you from seeing who is speaking), but though Sean Holmes’s direction could do with more clarity, it is strong in having fun as Falstaff gets his comeuppance and other things sort out.”
Broadway World: *** “While there are a few speeches or sections lost to acoustic issues, and it would have been interesting to see a few more risks taken with the staging, The Merry Wives of Windsor is another remarkable production from the Wooden O. It is escapism at its finest, even if the Globe doesn’t spare you from the scorching summer heat.”
The Arts Desk: *** “In a nice twist, we see how throughout the evening, Pearce’s Mistress Ford becomes steadily more enamoured of Falstaff – and that the chemistry between them far surpasses that between her and her husband. While that doesn’t stop the humiliations, it gives enjoyable pause for thought in this shamelessly silly interpretation that won’t go down as a classic, but still provides more than enough hedonistic fizz for a summer’s evening.”
Time Out: *** “But again: it’s not a great play, and rather than bend over backwards to try and make it look like it might be one, Holmes has opted to have fun. And so long as you’re not expecting too much from this flimsiest of works, you’ll have fun too.”
The Merry Wives of Windsor is playing at Shakespeare’s Globe until the 20th September.