The Merry Wives of Windsor
2011: Christopher Luscombe

This is another production of the Globe Theatre in London. Unlike some of the Globe productions, this does not bury the play (which is itself more than silly enough, and certainly doesn't need further frippery) under gratuitous stage business. It's a solid rendition of the play in a traditional mode — Elizabethan-era costuming and props — and the parts are all covered with real finesse.

The center of any production of the play is John Falstaff himself. It was his character that was (apparently at royal request) the motivation for the play in the first place: apparently after the Henry IV plays, Elizabeth herself asked for more dramas with Falstaff. He doesn't come off as well here as elsewhere — here he’s a tawdry, conniving reprobate, and the latter part of the play is largely taken up with his richly deserved comeuppance. It may be telling that after this one she didn’t repeat her request.

That being said, Christopher Benjamin’s performance of the role is very near to perfect. Benjamin has been acting on stage and screen for nearly sixty years, and he’s comfortable in a performance mode. He captures both the scurvy opportunism of the character and his (fitful) capacity for charm. He’s not really appealing, but he does prevent the play from becoming a dreary slog through the mere recital of his depravities.

Mistress Ford and Mistress Page are both in fine form, and their antics are evocative of the besst sketch comedy one might have found on something like the old Carol Burnett show — silly and spontaneous and completely self-aware. This is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if one gets into the mood and rhythm of the plotting, it can be good fun.

The performance is filmed (as are all the Globe versions) in a lived performance; the interaction with the audience is an informative and enlivening part of the experience. Background music (as opposed to song in the play itself) is added to the production, as it is not always — for all that it's a live performance, that veers toward the cinematic. The net effect is interesting.

One minor note: the sound balance on the DVD is somewhat uneven. There are moments where the volumes drop suddenly for a few seconds. This seems like the kind of thing that could have been amended in post-production. Aside from that, the technical attributes of the DVD are reasonably solid. Cinematography is good and sufficiently varied to keep things visually interesting.

This is a good — perhaps the best available — introduction to the play for newcomers. It plays to the strong side of the whole Globe enterprise, which tends to maximize slapstick. Nothing anyone can do will make this into a profound play: it is sufficient that it remains funny. The play is somewhat bawdy, perforce, and that may not be ideal for all audiences, and parents and teachers are cautioned on that score.

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