The Merry Wives of Windsor
By William Shakespeare
Part of the Arkangel Complete Shakespeare The Audio Partners Publishing Corp.
A Fully Dramatized, Unabridged Recording, on 2 CDs
ISBN: 1-932219-23-4
Reviewed by Herbert White - April 9, 2007
From high jinks to slightly veiled puns, The Merry Wives of Windsor is one of William Shakespeare's most jocular plays. The main character in this play, Sir John Falstaff, is, most interestingly, in the play by royal command. Rumor has it that Queen Elizabeth (the 1st) ordered Shakespeare to write a comedy with her favorite character, Falstaff, and he did. In this humorous tryst, Falstaff tries to wheedle his way into the fortunes of two wealthy men by first seducing their wives, namely Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Being quiet witty and clever, the two women soon see through Falstaff's wiles and set out to teach him a lesson he will not soon forget. Their husbands, however, soon learn of Falstaff's plans and they begin to wonder just how far they can really trust their wives.
To add some extra conflict to the story, Shakespeare has tossed in Anne Page, the daughter of Mistress Page. Young Anne has set her heart upon a man her mother disapproves of, and as her mother tries to prevent her marriage, much mischief ensues. To further complicate matters, there is more than one gentleman interested in wooing Anne. Throw in a dual, some cross dressing, and other antics, and you have you a story that amply highlights Shakespeare's comic genius.
This unabridged dramatic production of The Merry Wives of Windsor is part of The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare collection and it is a companion recording to the print edition of The Complete Pelican Shakespeare. This play was dramatized by a full cast of respected Shakespearean actors that includes:
Dinsdale Landen as Sir John Falstaff
Sylvestra Le Touzel as Mistress Ford
Penny Downie as Mistress Page
Camilla Power as Anne Page
Nicholas Woodeson as Ford
Philip Jackson as Page
This recording of The Merry Wives of Windsor is an unabridged dramatization, issued on two CDs. The CDs are packaged with liner notes that provide a scene by scene synopsis of the play, a cast list, and tracking list that will enable you to easily find each act and scene in the play. This is a full stage dramatization of the play, and it is rounded out by a musical score composed by Dominique Le Gendre and accompanying sound effects.
Related Reviews:
A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare.
This is a comedy of errors that occurs when a magic fairy potion that causes a sleeper to fall in love with the first person they see upon awakening, is misused.
Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare.
This comic Elizabethan soap opera features Orsino, who is in love with Olivia, who is in love with Cesario, who is a woman disguised as a man, who happens to be in love with Orsino!
