Merry Wives of Windsor

The ominous clouds that loomed over London before the performance of Merry Wives of Windsor symbolize, in my mind, the absolute antithesis of this enjoyable and warm display.  As a California native who is not accustomed to rain, nor standing in the rain once it has begun, one can only imagine the dread I felt upon spotting the grey fog rolling in a few hours before the performance. I boarded the tube and approached the Globe with feelings best described as fear. Upon entering the Globe, a twinge of excitement crept its way in as I admired the sets I had seen being built just days before and guests began filling the space with chatter and anticipation.

My feelings of fear and dread in regards to the weather all but disappeared as soon as the musicians began to play, emitting cheerful and upbeat tunes. The mere style of the instruments and music along with their festive, colorful clothing took me back in time, and I was no longer in London in year 2010. Each minute I watched the performance was surprisingly more enjoyable than the previous. I must admit, I did not always follow the dialogue between the characters due to my lack of knowledge of old English. However the actor’s facial expressions and animated gestures alone provided me with enough hints to know what was absolutely hysterical. The background music unexpectedly added so much to the performance. The ominous beats of the drum warned me for an upcoming trick and the delicate “ting” of the triangle provided a perfect reinforcement of a character’s epiphany.

The rapid pace of dialogue exchange among the actors and actresses kept me on my toes. It was a quick unfolding of events and the plot made for an interesting and energetic performance. It would be too difficult for me to choose my favorite character; the colorful cast was made up of quirky, funny, and talented actors and actresses. I found myself particularly entertained with the scenes between Mistress Page, Mistress Ford, and Falstaff. Mistress Page and Ford were hilarious together and their co-scheming against Falstaff was delightful. I found the scene with Falstaff and the laundry basket particularly comical. The play’s humor certainly appealed to all ages; and although many of the references in the script probably had much more significance to the people during the time of Shakespeare, the play certainly had timeless and classic humor. . The night was cold but I soon forgot about the temperature outside once I became wrapped up with the warmth of the music and characters. At one particularly funny point in the play, I tipped my head back with laughter and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds had given way to a deep, clear blue sky and I no longer had any fear of rain.

Hannah Park

Hannahpark@umail.ucsb.edu