[In the following review of The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Ian Judge, Dungate finds that the production's pace was swift and the cast energetic, and that Judge offered a fresh take on the play.]

I've usually found Merry Wives slightly worthy, but this new production by Ian Judge leaves you with a warmer glow than the best mince pies and mulled wine (it opened just before Christmas). Its success would seem to lie in the fact that each actor has been given his or her own head to create comic business and characterisation and that this rich mêlée has been transformed into a single delicious pudding by Master-Chef Judge. And there, lest the epicurean metaphors get out of hand, I'd best drop them. Ian Judge has shown us before how, with his acute sensitivity to the tone of a play and his meticulous attention to detail, he can reveal texts afresh. He's done it again: however outrageous the comedy or characterisation it always stems from the play, it never feels stuck on.

The production moves with a cracking pace and is sustained by great energy from the whole cast, the play is presented in all it's frivolous, witty, and zany glory. It has a bright modern feel too: the sprightly designs of Tim Goodchild complement this tone completely. The production finishes in a joyous pagan celebration.

Leslie Phillips is inspired casting for the old knight Falstaff. The screen history of Phillips' characters give us the right history for the character: Phillips eases himself into the role, therefore, and plays him simply and, rather touchingly, sincerely. There is no fool like an old fool and we are pleased he gets his comeuppance, but pleased too that Phillips manages to retain for the chanstened Falstaff a modicum of dignity after all his indignities. The right note is struck, while we may not want sentiment, neither do we want cruelty.

Mistresses Ford and Page (Susannah York and Joanna McCallum) are formidable together and excellent apart. With a lightness of touch they have a great ability to act between the lines so that we miss no nuance: there is a beautiful life-affirming quality about their performances. Guy Henry is outrageously funny in a most un-politically-correct presentation of the French Dr Caius and finds double-entendres by boldly taking his accent where no accent has gone before. Christopher Gee, Caius' simple servant, John Rugby, is a veritable bundle of laughs. Cherry Morris (Mistress Quickly) is a wonderfully wicked wily old bird, another character who delights in being alive.

Ian Judge carefully brings forward moments of reflection (and for the characters, self-reflection) during the production. These are enhanced by Edward Petherbridge's sincerely contrite Frank Ford: Petherbridge achieves wonders in his in-built double, Ford and, Ford-in-disguise, Brook—I was pleased to see both characters take a curtain call.