On June 24, Bard on the Beach debuted its second production of the season which was an amazingly entertaining version of The Merry Wives of Windsor that kept the audience in hysterics throughout the entire show.
Shifted from its traditional British setting, the play was set in 1968 Windsor, Ontario. The stage is an old bar, complete with taxidermy heads and a spot for open mic performances with the band. Speaking of which, there is a band complete with a guitarist who looks like he just finished touring with the Grateful Dead and a drummer who channels his inner Brando like a champ. This band is no gimmick but instead a key component to the show, much to everyone's surprise. The play opens with the cast all performing a rendition of “These Boots Were Made For Walking” during which you could practically hear those in the audience who had not read the program going, “Wait, this is a musical?”
Not only is this rendition modernized, it is also chalk full of catchy, thoroughly dated songs which come complete with a disco ball. It makes for a fantastically fun and lively experience from start to finish, without feeling totally out of place.
There is an unbridled madness to everything that happens, with actors exhibiting little restraint in their ridiculousness. Andrew Chown who played Doctor Caius, reached newfound levels of absurd hilarity with his heavily waxed moustache, lime-green corduroy-suit, flamboyantly combed hair and a raised eyebrow that could cut through stone.
In spite of the creative liberties all of this still felt thoroughly Shakespearean, with actors such as Ashley Wright as Sir John Falstaff filling every scene he was in with a crisp, reverential delivery of his lines and great physicality befitting of a classically Shakespearean performer.
But he was among a cast of great talents all of whom had their moments to really shine. It was also quite impressive to watch actors regularly switch between acting, singing and playing instruments throughout the show, entirely without flaw.
This was a remarkably well executed play, with impressively thought out and detailed physical comedy that showed a willingness to bring fresh ideas of humour to the source material as opposed to just relying on Shakespeare’s words to bring their own levity. It made the play feel rich and inspired. The audience was carried swiftly from start to finish, with unending, unrelenting laughter and not a trace of boredom. The show was well worth its standing ovation, and all were sorry to see it come to its close.
The Merry Wives of Windsor will be running till September 24. Tickets are available online.