5:12pm Tuesday 31st August 2010
By Emily-Ann Elliott
Cackling with laughter, Stacey Roca and Naomi Cortes perfectly depicted the Merry Wives Of Windsor. Performed in the grounds of Arundel Castle, Shakespeare’s suburban comedy was brought to life by the GB Theatre Company.
Alexander Delamere played a faultless fool in his role as Sir John Falstaff trying to seduce Mistress Page and Mistress Ford.
The play’s many puns were reinforced by physical comedy, including exaggerated gestures and facial expressions, especially notable when Mistress Ford’s jealous husband disguises himself to prove his wife’s unfaithfulness.
The company had excellent comic timing, with the best scenes including those in which Falstaff got his comeuppance after being thrown into a dirty laundry basket and dressed in women’s clothes.
The wives’ trickery was played out alongside the suitors of Anne Page, a plotline which added its own comedic moments.
Gabriel Thomson, who has starred in the British sitcom My Family, was great in his role as the French Dr Caius, as was Andrew Mathys as the clueless Slender.
The Collector Earl’s Garden at Arundel Castle provided a fantastic setting for the play, with the performance timed so that by the time the sun had set on the characters playing their final trick on Falstaff, it had also set on the audience.
There were strong performances from all members of the cast and live music added to the party atmosphere.
As a relatively new group, the GB Theatre Company managed to capture the playful nature of Shakespeare’s text, making the most of every line of humour.
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