The Merry Wives of Windsor
3rd April 1979
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, RSC
This was a Royal Shakespeare Company production that opened on the main stage at Stratford on the 3rd April 1979 and played in repertoire in Stratford and at the Aldwych Theatre in London until 31st May 1980.
Production Photographs by Donald Cooper
Olivier Awards – 1980
Best Comedy Performance – Ben Kingsley for the role of Frank Ford (Nomination)
The Merry Wives of Windsor
| Written by | William Shakespeare |
Stratford creative team
| Directors | John Caird & Trevor Nunn |
| Set & Costume Design | John Napier |
| Music composed and arranged by | Guy Woolfenden |
| Lighting by | Brian Harris |
| Dance arranged by | Sue Lefton |
| Company voice work by | Cicely Berry |
Stratford cast
| Citizens of Windsor | |
| George Page | Bob Peck |
| Margaret Page, his wife | Jane Downs |
| Anne Page, their daughter | Kate Nicholls |
| William Page, their son | Jonathan Kirkbride / Aaron Reese |
| Frank Ford | Ben Kingsley |
| Alice Ford, his wife | Susan Tracy |
| John | Nicholas Gecks |
| Robert | Terence Harvey |
| Hugh Evans, a Welsh parson | David Lloyd Meredith |
| Doctor Caius, a French Physician | Geoffrey Hutchings |
| Mistress Quickly, his housekeeper | Lila Kaye |
| John Rugby, his servant | Teddy Kempner |
| The Host of the Garter | Timothy Kightly |
| Servants at the Garter | David Creedon / Alan Gill |
| Serving Women | Cathryn Harrison / Shirley King |
| Children of Windsor | Richard Barlow / Matthew Beacham / Fraser Garrity / Timothy Gearey / Simon Johnson / David Laurens / Stuart Lyall / Mark Randerson / Nicholas Storr / Mark Trevor / Simon Twigger / Dorian Wathern / Martin Weatherhead / Martyn West |
| From London | |
| Sir John Falstaff | John Woodvine |
| Pistol, his follower | John McEnery |
| Nym, his follower | Ian McNiece |
| Bardolph, his follower | Norman Tyrrell |
| Robin, his page | Matthew Brace / Gordon Garrity |
| Fenton, a gentleman | Tim Brierley |
| From Gloucestershire | |
| Robert Shallow, a country Justice | Paddy Godfrey |
| Abraham Slender, his nephew | David Threlfall |
| Peter Simple, Slender's servant | Timothy Spall |
Stratford musicians
| Recorders | Ian Reynolds |
| Bassoon / Crumhorn / Recorder | Roger Hellyer |
| Horn / Percussion | David Statham |
| Trumpet / Cornetto / Recorder | Glenn Coleman |
| Oboe / Cor Anglais / Crumhorn / Recorder | John Woolf |
| Horn / Dulzaine | Peter Morris |
| Percussion | Peter Washtell / Jim Jones |
Aldwych creative team
| For this revival John Napier’s design was adapted by Dermot Hayes. |
Aldwych cast
| Citizens of Windsor | |
| George Page | Bob Peck |
| Margaret Page, his wife | Jane Downs |
| Anne Page, their daughter | Cathryn Harrison |
| William Page, their son | Daniel Holender / Dicon Murray |
| Frank Ford | Ben Kingsley |
| Alice Ford, his wife | Susan Tracy |
| John | Mark Tandy |
| Robert | Terence Harvey |
| Hugh Evans, a Welsh parson | David Lloyd Meredith |
| Doctor Caius, a French Physician | Geoffrey Hutchings |
| Mistress Quickly, his housekeeper | Lila Kaye |
| John Rugby, his servant | Ian East |
| The Host of the Garter | Timothy Kightly |
| Servants | Alan Gill / Stephen Rashbrook |
| Serving women | Shirley King / Hilary Townley |
| From London | |
| Sir John Falstaff | John Woodvine |
| Pistol, his follower | John McEnery |
| Nym, his follower | Teddy Kempner |
| Bardolph, his follower | Norman Tyrrell |
| Robin, his page | Dexter Fletcher |
| Fenton, a gentleman | Nicholas Gecks |
| From Gloucestershire | |
| Robert Shallow, a country Justice | Paddy Godfrey |
| Abraham Slender, his nephew | David Threlfall |
| Peter Simple, Slender's servant | Timothy Spall |