Merry Wives of Windsor
From April to June 2012, Shakespeare’s Globe brought theatre companies from around the world to perform all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in 37 languages. The Globe to Globe season was part of the World Shakespeare Festival for the London 2012 Festival.
The Merry Wives of Windsor is no longer available but you can still see some of the Globe to Globe plays featured on The Space.
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (HERI WANAWAKE WA WINDSOR)
Performed in Swahili by Bitter Pill from Nairobi, Kenya.
(with scene description in English)
THE COMPANY
Bitter Pill is an award-winning theatre company working across Europe and Africa. Their projects range from this production in Swahili which has been on tour in the UK, to a new play based on real Zimbabwean stories, which is touring southern Africa.
THE PLAY
Lecherous old Falstaff schemes to seduce two wives in order to get hold of their husbands’ money. They discover his motives easily and devise a series of elaborate jokes to humiliate him. Meanwhile, a wealthy daughter plots against her parents so as to be able to wed the suitor of her choosing.
PRINCIPAL CAST AND CREDITS
Falstaff: Mrisho Mpoto
Master Ford: James Gathitu
Master Page: Joshua Ogutu
Mistress Ford: Lydiah Gitachu
Anne Page: Sharon Nanjos
Directors: Daniel Goldman and Sarah Norman
Producers: Keith Pearson, Martin Kaona, Naijeria Toweett