Merry Wives, Naughty Knight. The Merry Wives of Windsor
Sir John, you only had yourself to blame. Such decent and respectable mistresses were not to be turned by your lecherous interests, however much you trembled your tummy. There again, you were unlucky to pick on such wickedly cheeky ones – even if we in the audience blessed them for their enterprise, and that of those around them. You deserved your dirty downfall and we rejoiced in the schadenfreude.
Meanwhile, in the beguilingly complex subplot, there was an element of brexit in the spurning of France for something, and someone, more quintessentially English, further complicated by the need to choose between two parties – one familiar, the other foisted upon (I can’t quite squeeze out an election analogy there… despite my best efforts).
And so… a happy ending at least for two youngsters in love, and two couples left intact, for a padre knight and some happy country folk; as for the rest: commiserations to poor Doctor and poor Slender – you were unlucky (if a little short sighted), and all praise to the people of Windsor for your steadfast support of all and sundry, your dancing and carrying, your celebrations and your revelations. Marvellous entertainment under a beautiful sky and upon a magical stage: many congratulations to cast and crew on bringing us laughter and light as the sun set over Windsor-upon-Woodbridge.
