Ruth Agnew reviews The Merry Wives of Windsor, produced by Top Dog Theatre Company as their annual Open Air Summer Shakespeare production, at Mona Vale, Friday 6 February 2026.
While I am a lifelong fangirl of William Shakespeare and his works, I must be honest and admit The Merry Wives of Windsor has never tickled my fancy. The plot is based around the attempted lechery of the obese, alcohol-soaked knight, Falstaff. Making more appearances in Shakespeare’s plays than any other character, Falstaff is deeply flawed, showing himself in Henry IV parts 1 and 2 to be deceptive, disloyal and dishonest, stealing from worthier knights, claiming others’ heroic deeds as his own, and being quick to betray his only true friend, Prince Hal. It has been said that Shakespeare had retired the big-headed, big-bellied braggidacio, but at the request of Queen Elizabeth I, brought him back from the dead (see Henry V) to show him in a love story. Thus, The Merry Wives of Windsor is ostensibly a play about Falstaff’s coarse and unsuccessful attempts at wooing, but essentially plays out as a two hour long fat joke, finished with a quick skirt-flip quip regarding mistaken gender identification. However, Top Dog takes their production beyond the bawdy Elizabethan Benny Hill sketch it usually presents as, by focussing on the quick-witted cleverness of the two women who are the recipients of Falstaff’s unwelcome advances. If I can be won over by this light-hearted and contemporaneously appropriate interpretation of the text, anyone can.
Falstaff is played by Charlie Grubb, who Christchurch audiences may remember as the Scottish King on the same Mona Vale lawn some years ago. My first memory of Grubb as an actor stretches back years before that, when he was called upon to fill in for Ross Gumbley as the lead role in a Court Theatre Hitchcock-esque thriller, earning my respect as he leapt into a role with less than a day’s notice. This is not his first time donning Falstaff’s round belly and unkempt beard, having first played the role nearly twenty years ago. This time around Grubb uses his own beard, having gone full method, with some added grey to his facial hair. Well, not full method, as he wears a considerable amount of padding to fill out the part of the full-figured knight. This is an extremely convincing piece of stage wizardry, and whoever is responsible for the cushioning of Grubb’s girth (I think Waimere Mahaka and the merry wives themselves) deserves praise.
Grubb has a relaxed, easy delivery of Shakespearean verse. His Falstaff is less lecherous and closer to sober than many, making it easier for the audience to laugh at his planned double debauchery as well the detailing of his devious intentions.
The success of this production, however, lies in director Derek Doddington’s clear focus on the titular merry wives rather than the drooling fool trying to woo them. Falstaff’s attempt to romance both Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, two women of means who control their own finances, to line his threadbare pockets, fails due to his underestimation of women’s intelligence, loyalty and cunning. Top Dog founding member Jay Grubb brings the perfect balance of intelligence and cunning to the pivotal role of Mistress Page, never allowing the misogyny at play all around her to push her into a whining, fishwife tone and timbre.
From the outset of his machinations, it is clear Falstaff is out of his depth with regard to winning the hearts of these merry wives, whom he makes the mistake of seriously underestimating. When Mistress Page and her close friend Mistress Ford receive love letters from the Knight (who is round at the navel), obviously the first thing they do is show each other. Upon discovering Falstaff didn’t even bother to write two different missives for each mistress, they begin to plot his comeuppance. While clearly unwilling to be anyone’s fool, Jay Grubb’s Page is quick and clever without being sharp or conniving. The looks shared between Mistresses Page and Ford (Nikki Conyers) speak volumes, which may be helpful for anyone not quite keeping up with the text.
The language of this play is not typical of the Bard. More prose than verse, it swings from overly wordy speeches repeating the same idea, to a quick delivery of vitally important information in a snappy couplet. Doddington’s editing helps to clarify things for those not familiar with the play, and Anna Willows’ Mistress Quickly and Nikki Blyendaal’s Hostess help clear up any confusion through their characters’ recounting of the action, spoken in such a comfortable, understandable manner. Young Shakespeare enthusiasts about to direct a scene for the upcoming Sheilah Winn Shakespeare fest would do well to watch Willow closely. Her observation of rhythm and metre whilst emphasising key words for sense, and using gesture without looking like a 1600s charades champion, should be filmed and used as a how-to guide.
The cast seems to include most of Ōtautahi’s drama teachers, who are all intent on disproving the adage “those who can’t do teach”. The calibre is impressively high. Aaron Boyce brings faux French flair to his Doctor Caius, without unnecessary cheap frills and flamboyance. Scott Koorey as Master Page is a lovely supporting player to his sharp-minded wife. Paddy Scott is a endearingly clueless jealous husband, Tim Guy’s Master Slender is delightfully dopey, and India Horrey embodies poise and presence as the sought after, fought over Anne Page.
Mark Chirnside’s Bridgerton-esque musical flourishes are delightful, and his onstage presence helps fill some of the more sparsely populated and set-less scenes. Sound operator Darryl Cribb deserves his own round of applause for the deft handling of stage sound in a windy environment, and the birds and cicadas all seemed to hit their cues and blend beautifully with the voices.
The Merry Wives of Windsor will never be my favourite Shakespearean comedy, but I can confidently say Top Dog has put together my favourite staging of it I have seen thus far. Comedy suits the long-standing tradition of picnicking on the Mona Vale lawn while Top Dog actors race around the gardens, so pack your sammies and a camping chair, and enjoy an ale with Falstaff.
The Merry Wives of Windsor runs until Saturday 14 February.
Flat City Field Notes 