Welcome to Shakespeare Under the Stars with Stafford Festival Shakespeare

This year mark’s the twentieth anniversary of Stafford Festival Shakespeare and the beautiful surroundings of Stafford Castle is the perfect backdrop to enjoy Shakespeare's hilarious comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor.

With its physical laughs and vivid characters The Merry Wives of Windsor is a brilliant constructed farce, which features the infamous fat knight, Sir John Falstaff. The boisterous and mischievous character is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved creations and features in Henry IV Part One, as well as The Wives. It is also said that the play was written at the request of Queen Elizabeth I because she loved the buffoonery of Falstaff and specifically wanted a comedy with him as the central character.

The Merry Wives, which opens on Thursday 24 June and runs until Saturday 10 July 2010, sees Falstaff arrive in Windsor with little money, so he launches a plan to seduce two married women in order to gain from their husband’s fortune, which they control. The wives (Mistress Page and Mistress Ford) however learn of Falstaff’s intentions and are cleverer than him, humiliating him on a number of occasions with hilarious consequences.

Enjoy a long chilled drink from the refreshment marquee, a deli picnic platter or a three course meal before the show with family and friends. Then take to your seats in the impressive grandstand which is fully covered and sit back and enjoy the unique Open Air experience.