Review: The Merry Wives of Wishaw, Glasgow Botanic Gardens

The second and final outdoor show of the 2024 Bard in the Botanics season is The Merry Wives of Wishaw. It is adapted from William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor by Gordon Barr, who also directs.

This production stars Alan Steele as Sir John Falstaff, a role he is reprising from last year's Henry IV. Falstaff has arrived in Wishaw with the intent of winning over local wealthy women for their money.

Eimi Quinn plays Anne Page (middle names Beyonce and Lulu, I suspect, aren't in the original text) a sassy young woman whose meddling mother (the brilliant Isabelle Joss) is trying to set her up with Abraham Slender (Kyle Gardiner). Anne remains uninterested as she is secretly betrothed to Ned Poins (Johnny Panchaud).

It's a terrific cast who work really well together in a farcical comedy. The Merry Wives of Wishaw is an extremely silly show, one of the highlights involves cast members inside a giant pink wheelie bin. It's very funny at times but some of the humour is lost during overly wordy moments. While the plot shouldn't be complex to follow, it does get a bit muddled.

This production has a lovely little twist by setting it in Wishaw instead of Windsor. The Scottish spin on it definitely adds something to a play that can't be classed as Shakespeare's finest work.

The outdoor shows at the Botanics have a wonderful atmosphere and the fantastic cast makes this production worthy of your time.

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