There were was a wonderful local modern parallel going on last night during the production of the "Merry Wives of Windsor" at the chateau in Prangins. While the actors were playing a scene from the 16th century involving flag waving, loud Germans who shouted at the audience, at the same time there were hundreds of flag waving, loud German fans watching and shouting in their very own crowd scene over at the UBS Arena in Nyon.
These simultaneous productions, the football match and the play, require exactly the same skills for a successful performance: dedication to the art, perseverance, being nimble of foot, perfect timing, precision, and team work. There's a heap lot of passion and emotion involved too and the actors last night in Prangins had all of the above in droves, it was a superb performance from all five of them.
"The Merry Wives" is a comedy, a farce and with so many subplots and not knowing the play, I admit I didn't find it easy to keep up with it all. For the actor with so many characters to portray, it must be even harder. With the "footy", Ronaldo only ever has to remember whether he is putting on his Manchester United or Portugal strip on in the dressing room, whereas the actors in this play have to remember numerous costumes changes. There was one particular character transformation by the actress Lizzy Dive that was so lightning fast it brought a cheer from the audience. The actors double up, triple up, nay quadruple up on so many characters you can only gasp in amazement and admire at their memory for each part and their lines.
Despite being here for seven years this is the first time I have been to a Howard Production summer play and what a mistake I have made. The courtyard setting lends itself perfectly to Shakespeare in the open air, as it was originally intended. The sound quality is good and the glorious parkland surrounding the chateau means that many, (obviously old hands at this) took advantage of the sublime summer's evening. They took picnics or had an "apero" in the chateau grounds before curtain up.
The director's notes in the programme in the Merry Wives of Windsor say "In real life you can't poke fun of people of other nationalities and get away with it, but in the theatre the characters on the stage can and in this play they certainly do. No one remains unscathed: the Welsh, the Dutch, the French, the Spanish, and of course the Germans all receive their fair share of funny insults."
So despite the complicated plot, it is a testament that such an international audience (for many, English is not their first language) sat through the insults and complexities of this rather long Shakespearean play. A play full of old English with its nuances, double entendres and witticisms. Not easy, but comedy is a universal language and it was all helped enormously by the skill of the actors who were adept at keeping the pace going, and the acting tight. Like football, this play involves spitting and the drinking of much "sack". Last night the actors also played throughout the siren of an emergency ambulance, car horns from celebrating fans and the village clock chiming each hour. Shakespeare would probably have been smiling. The actors from this UK professional acting group Illyria probably wish they earned the same salaries as some of the football players on the field last night. After all, both groups of professionals have punishing touring schedules, and the actors undoubtedly put in the same amount (if not more), of work, rehearsals and training. However the audience cheered loudly at the end, they went home happy and sticking to the football analogy, "at the end of the day", that's the right result and all that counts. Practical stuff - The play continues tonight and tomorrow 20 and 21 June. Curtain up at 20:00For more details see Howard Productions and a hint, for a more comfortable night's viewing take a cushion for your seat.