"MERRY WIVES-OF WINDSOR"

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1922, Page 9

"MERRY WIVES-OF WINDSOR"

, Who has not heard of jovial Sir John Falstaff and the shameful manner in which he was treated by two good women of Windsor Town? The story has been told very often, but repetition has robbed it of none of its humour or of its many ludicrous situations. Sir John was fond of good food and. good wine, and, so the story runs, he also had a liking for fair women. More particularly did he lay siege to the hearts of two estimable women of Windsor,' Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, and the manner of his wooing and the result of it go to' make an amusing story. The massive knight forwards an endearing letter to both of fche women, and the pair decide to teach him a lesson. Good Mistress Ford (who, by the way,, is blessed with a jealous husband) makes an appointment with Sir John at her' house, .and all, apparently, goes well, until her husband arrives with a party of friends, intent on searching the house. Fir John is forced into a basket, and carried away by servants, and dumped into Father Thames without further ado. But the knight is not easily dismayed, and once more he visits the house. Once more the husband arrives, and Falstaff has to leave in a hurry disguised as the fat woman of Bedford. But even this does not cool Falstaff's ardour a whit, and the final scene of the play takes place ■.in Windsor Forest, where Sir John lineally learns his lesson.

No opportunity was lost in the production of "The Merry Wives of Windsor" by Mr. Allan Wilkie and his company at the Grand Opera House last evening. As Falstaff, Mr. Wilkie gave one of his best- performances to date, and again proved himself an able exponent of Shakespearian roles. Mias Hilda Dorrington gave another fine performance of Mistress Ford, and she received good support from Miss Lorna Forbes, who was cast as Mistress Page. Messrs. Felix Bland and Frank Moore were well cast as Pago and ForJ respectively, and a good piece of character acting was ths,t of Mr. Augustus Neville, in ,the role of Mine Host of the Garter Inn/ Other roles were capably filled by Messrs. Vincent Scully, Ellis Irving, Leslie Manner; J. Plumpton Wilson, Jack Lennon, William Lockhart. and Fred Macdonald, and .Misses Vera St. John, Pamela Travers, and Mona Duval. To-night the company will close its season with "Richard