Review: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford
She was Angie in EastEnders, Mama in Chicago and her career embraces everything from Dr Who to Hamlet. But not until now, at 63, has Anita Dobson stepped on stage at Stratford as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
She plays Mistress Quickly in this sparkling and memorable Philip Breen production, slipping into the role as though it were made for her. This is a modern-dress production and Dobson teeters around in tight skirts and stilettos as the match-maker and gossip in the closest thing to a farce Shakespeare ever wrote.
She's funny and word-perfect but there's not a chance of her stealing the show because this is Falstaff's play. The hopeless old knight is played by Desmond Barrit who has become the definitive Falstaff of our age. Barrit is in excellent form, wringing out every ounce of pathos and comedy.
There's a brilliant double act by Alexandra Gilbreath and Sylvestra Le Touzel as sexy Alice Ford and not-so-sexy Meg Page, the wives accused of infidelity, and some wonderfully expressive work by John Ramm as jealous husband Frank Ford.
The show runs at Stratford until January 12.
Review by Peter Rhodes
