Brimming with slapstick, farce and broad comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor is frequently cited as one of the earliest examples of situation comedy, and is one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays. Audiences of all ages will relate to and enjoy the characters and situations on offer: when a fat and impecunious fool attempts the seduction of two spirited middle-aged married women, they are happy to have several laughs at his expense, and suffer him to endure various indignities involving, most famously, a laundry basket. Add several ageing and unsuitable suitors with comically heavy accents, an insanely jealous dolt of a husband, a mercenary Malaprop of a go-between and various unsavoury hangers-on, and the scene is set for a glorious rural romp to rival any written in the intervening four centuries. So come on down to Windsor-on-Tone and enjoy this irreverent and uncomplicated comedy under (hopefully) summer skies in full costume at one of ten glorious open air venues. We guarantee belly laughs a-plenty!

For details, email publicity@tauntonthespians.org.uk