The Merry Wives of Windsor [scenes]

Summary

BBC production of the letter scene from The Merry Wives of Windsor, presented by Robert Atkins’ Bankside Players. John Wyver writes on the Screen Plays blog that this broadcast ‘for the moment at least, should be celebrated as television’s first presentation of a specific Shakespeare theatre show’ (3 April 2014).

Theatre play

The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare [more information]

Play synopsis

'Sir John Falstaff, staying in Windsor and down on his luck, decides to restore his fortunes by seducing the wives of two wealthy citizens. He sends Mistress Page and Mistress Ford identical love letters, but they discover his double dealing and set about turning the tables, arranging an assignation at Mistress Ford’s house. The jealous Frank Ford has heard of Falstaff’s plan and decides to test his wife’s fidelity. Pretending to be Master Broom, he pays Falstaff to seduce his wife on his behalf, twice almost catching them together. The Pages’ daughter Anne is pursued by three suitors. The French physician Doctor Caius is her mother’s choice, whilst her father favours Slender, Justice Shallow’s kinsman. Anne herself is in love with Fenton. Mistress Quickly is being paid by all three suitors to advance their cause. A duel between Doctor Caius and Parson Evans is averted when the Host of the Garter Inn plays a trick on them, and they in turn pay him back. In Windsor Great Park at night, Falstaff is set up for his final punishment - and one of Anne Page’s suitors is successful’ (source: http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/the-merry-wives-of-windsor/synopsis.aspx, accessed 12 November 2012).

Production history

First published in 1602, though the play is believed to have been written prior to 1597.

Date of transmission

Friday 12 March 1937

Time

9.35pm (25 mins)

Series

Scenes from Shakespeare

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Theatre company

Robert Atkins’ Bankside Players

Credits

Producer

Stephen Thomas

Playwright

William Shakespeare

Cast

Irene Vanbrugh	Mistress Page
Violet Vanbrugh	Mistress Ford

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Print sources

Title

BBC Television Programme Records: vol. 1, 1937-38 (Book)

Reference

London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1938

Linking notes

listing on p. 20

Title

Radio Times, 5 March 1937 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing and portrait photographs of the actors on p. 10

Title

Scenes from Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor (BBC, 1937) (Blog article)

Author/creator

John Wyver (Author)

Reference

http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/scenes-from-shakespeare-the-merry-wives-of-windsor-bbc-1937, published 3 April 2014