'The Merry Wives Of Windsor'

venue

Railway Institute

Dates

12th - 17th February 1951

Directors

A. G. Revill & E. D. Marsden

Despite often being considered by critics to be one of Shakespeare's weakest plays 'The Merry Wives Of Windsor' has always been a popular comedy audiences. Its timeless blend of bawdy farce and class rivalry and the return of the popular character Sir John Falstaff, albeit in a noticeably different form to his appearances in 'Henry IV' parts 1 and 2, have always amused theatregoers and the play has been regularly performed since the Elizabethan era.

As such it's no surprise that the play had already been produced by the British Empire Shakespeare Society (Derby Branch), as we were then known, three times before this 1951 show.

We hope to be able to add more information and photographs from this production soon.

Crew

Producers - A. G. Revill & E. D. Marsden
Assistant Producers - L. H. Titmuss & J. E. Howard Smith
Stage Director - Leslie Roome
Stage Manager - G. S. Aspdin
Settings & Lighting - Dennis Eddowes
Wardrobe & Properties - Mrs. M. A. Wheeler & Mrs. L. Roome
Make-up - Mrs. D. Eddowes
Scene Painting - R. B. Hawksworth
Prompter - Mrs. E. E. Knighton
Dances Arranged By - The Carlton School Of Dancing
Business Manager - J. E. Howard Smith
Secretary To The Society - Lt.-Col. A. A. Dean

Cast

Sir John Falstaff - A. G. Revill
Fenton - E. V. Clark
Shallow - S. Morrison
Slender - L. H. Titmuss
Ford - J. H. Banks
Page - D. V. Tamblin
Sir Hugh Evans - A. W. Dalby-Phillips
Doctor Caius - A. D. Smedley
Host Of The Garter Inn - G. N. T. Dickinson
Bardolph - A. W. Elliott
Pistol - J. E. Howard Smith
Nym - R. Burleigh
Robin - K. J. Price
Simple - J. T. Clewes
Rugby - M. Pritchard
Servants - F. D. Beard & N. T. Smith
Mistress Ford - Mrs. F. H. Garratt
Mistress Page - Miss O. Haroun
Anne Page - Miss P. Laurie
Mistress Quickly - Miss P. Banks
Children Of Windsor - Joan Buckley, Barbara Cartwright, Elaine East, Anne Finney, Valerie Green, Hazel Holland, Catherine MacFarlane, Mary Redfearn, Betty Rodgers & Sheila Thorley