The Merry Wives of Windsor - Revision history

Darryl: /* Sources */

2026-04-26T16:31:08Z

Sources

Darryl: /* Performance history of the play in South Africa */

2026-04-26T16:30:45Z

Performance history of the play in South Africa

Darryl at 20:59, 14 March 2024

2024-03-14T20:59:00Z

Darryl at 14:34, 23 February 2024

2024-02-23T14:34:24Z

Darryl: /* Translations and adaptations */

2024-02-23T14:25:13Z

Translations and adaptations

Darryl at 14:24, 23 February 2024

2024-02-23T14:24:10Z

Darryl: /* Translations and adaptations */

2024-02-23T14:22:21Z

Translations and adaptations

Satj: /* Performance history in South Africa */

2022-03-09T04:02:48Z

Performance history in South Africa

Miriamt: /* Performance history in South Africa */

2018-05-12T06:50:52Z

Performance history in South Africa

Satj at 04:52, 29 April 2017

2017-04-29T04:52:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:31, 26 April 2026
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	[[Alexandra Xenia Sabina Mossolow]]. 2003. The career of South African soprano Nellie du Toit, born 1929. Unpublished Masters thesis. [[University of Stellenbosch]].		[[Alexandra Xenia Sabina Mossolow]]. 2003. The career of South African soprano Nellie du Toit, born 1929. Unpublished Masters thesis. [[University of Stellenbosch]].
		+
		+	https://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/Criticism/shakespearein/sa2/index.html

	Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]		Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:30, 26 April 2026
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	== Performance history of the play in South Africa ==		== Performance history of the play in South Africa ==
		+
		+	1891-2: Performed by the [[Geneviève Ward Company]] during a nine months' tour of South Africa, under the auspices of [[Luscombe Searelle]], featuring [[Geneviève Ward]] and [[W.H. Vernon]] in the leading roles.

	1945: ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'' performed at the [[Standard Theatre]], Johannesburg and [[Alhambra Theatre]], Cape Town in collaboration with [[African Consolidated Theatres]] in 1945. Presented by the [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies / Marda Vanne Company]] , with [[Marda Vanne]], [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies]], [[Wensley Pithey]] as Falstaff, [[Rolf Lefebvre]], [[Gavin Haughton]], [[Alec Bell]], [[James Workman]], [[Jack Bligh]], [[Noel Hewett]], [[Zoë Randall]], [[Pietro Nolte]], decor by [[John Dronsfield]], scene changes devised by [[Dulcie Howes]].		1945: ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'' performed at the [[Standard Theatre]], Johannesburg and [[Alhambra Theatre]], Cape Town in collaboration with [[African Consolidated Theatres]] in 1945. Presented by the [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies / Marda Vanne Company]] , with [[Marda Vanne]], [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies]], [[Wensley Pithey]] as Falstaff, [[Rolf Lefebvre]], [[Gavin Haughton]], [[Alec Bell]], [[James Workman]], [[Jack Bligh]], [[Noel Hewett]], [[Zoë Randall]], [[Pietro Nolte]], decor by [[John Dronsfield]], scene changes devised by [[Dulcie Howes]].

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 : Nicolai's opera presented at the [[Johannesburg Music Festival]] by [[John Connell]].
 ==Sources==
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 [[Percy Tucker]] 1997. ''Just the Ticket. My 50 Years in Show Business''. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.
+[[Alexandra Xenia Sabina Mossolow]]. 2003. The career of South African soprano Nellie du Toit, born 1929. Unpublished Masters thesis. [[University of Stellenbosch]].
 Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 == Performance history of the operas in South Africa ==
-: Nicolai's opera presented at the [[Johannesburg Festival]] by [[John Connell]].
+: Nicolai's opera presented at the [[Johannesburg Music Festival]] by [[John Connell]].
 ==Sources==

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 Translated into [[Northern Sotho]] as ''[[Kgosi Henri IV]]''  (1973) by [[N.C. Phatudi]]
-A number of operas by this name have been written over the years, most of them largely based on ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'', with material from Shakespeare's ''[[Henry IV]]'', (Parts I and II) added. Composers and librettists include Antonio Salieri and Carlo Prospero Defranceschi (1799); Michael William Balfe and S. Manfredo Maggione (1838); by Otto Nicolai to a German libretto by Salomon Hermann Mosenthal (1848); and Giuseppe Verdi and Arrigo Boito (1893). A "symphonic study" called ''[[Falstaff]]''  was also written by Edward Elgar in  1913.
+A number of operas by this name have been written over the years, most of them largely based on ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'', with material from Shakespeare's ''[[Henry IV]]'', (Parts I and II) added. Composers and librettists include:
 Adapted as a stage play called ''[[Falstaff]]'' by [[Ian Ferguson]] in 1976, a combination of the "[[Falstaff]]" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falstaff] scenes from Shakespeare’s plays ''[[Henry IV]]'' (parts 1 and 2) and ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]''.

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 == The original text ==
 Most probably written prior to 1597 but first published in 1602. One of the first Shakespearean plays to be performed once the theatres re-opened in 1660.  William Jaggard's "False folio" of 1619 bears the title "A most pleasant and excellent conceited comedy, of Sir John Falstaffe, and the merry wives of Windsor", but it is usually known by the shorter title.
 == Translations and adaptations ==
 Translated into [[Afrikaans]] as ''[[Hendrik IV]]''
@@ Line 19: / Line 17: @@
 Adapted as a stage play called ''[[Falstaff]]'' by [[Ian Ferguson]] in 1976, a combination of the "[[Falstaff]]" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falstaff] scenes from Shakespeare’s plays ''[[Henry IV]]'' (parts 1 and 2) and ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]''.
-== Performance history in South Africa ==
+== Performance history of the play in South Africa ==
 : ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'' performed at the [[Standard Theatre]], Johannesburg and [[Alhambra Theatre]], Cape Town in collaboration with [[African Consolidated Theatres]] in 1945. Presented by the [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies / Marda Vanne Company]] , with [[Marda Vanne]], [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies]], [[Wensley Pithey]] as Falstaff, [[Rolf Lefebvre]], [[Gavin Haughton]], [[Alec Bell]], [[James Workman]], [[Jack Bligh]], [[Noel Hewett]], [[Zoë Randall]], [[Pietro Nolte]], decor by [[John Dronsfield]], scene changes devised by [[Dulcie Howes]].
@@ Line 30: / Line 28: @@
 : Directed by [[Ralph Lawson]] for [[CAPAB]] at the [[National Arts Festival]] 1991 starring [[Phillip Boucher]] (Falstaff), [[Diane Wilson]], [[Lida Meiring]], [[André Jacobs]], [[Ronald France]], [[Mary Dreyer]], [[Kurt Wustmann]], [[Richard Farmer]], [[Jay Heale]], [[Royston Stoffels]], [[Mark Hoeben]], [[Steven Raymond]], [[Jonathan Pienaar]], [[Barry Park]], [[André Samuels]], [[Pauline O'Kelly]], [[Blaise Koch]], [[Sizwe Msutu]] and [[Lwando Bango]]. Designs by [[Birrie le Roux]], lighting by [[Malcolm Hurrell]], music by [[David Nissen]].
 ==Sources==
@@ Line 42: / Line 44: @@
 [[Maynardville]] theatre programme, 1969.
 [[National Arts Festival]] programme, 1991. 42.

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 == Performance history in South Africa ==
-: ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'' performed at the [[Standard Theatre]], Johannesburg and [[Alhambra Theatre]], Cape Town in collaboration with [[African Consolidated Theatres]] in 1945. Presented by the [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies / Marda Vanne Company]] , with [[Marda Vanne]], [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies]], [[Wensley Pithey]] as Falstaff, [[Rolf Lefebvre]], [[Gavin Haughton]], [[Alec Bell]], [[James Workman]], [[Jack Bligh]], [[Noel Hewett]], [[Zoë Randall]], [[Pietro Nolte]], decor by [[John Dronsfield]], scene changes devised by Dulcie Howes.
+: ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'' performed at the [[Standard Theatre]], Johannesburg and [[Alhambra Theatre]], Cape Town in collaboration with [[African Consolidated Theatres]] in 1945. Presented by the [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies / Marda Vanne Company]] , with [[Marda Vanne]], [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies]], [[Wensley Pithey]] as Falstaff, [[Rolf Lefebvre]], [[Gavin Haughton]], [[Alec Bell]], [[James Workman]], [[Jack Bligh]], [[Noel Hewett]], [[Zoë Randall]], [[Pietro Nolte]], decor by [[John Dronsfield]], scene changes devised by [[Dulcie Howes]].
 : Performed at [[Maynardville]], opening on 4 January 1969. Directed by [[Leslie French]] for [[Cecilia Sonnenberg]] and [[René Ahrenson]]. In the lead roles were [[Bernard Brown]] as Sir John Falstaff, [[Peter Curtis]] as Ford, [[Margaret Heale]] as Mistress Ford, [[Bruce Addison]] as Page and [[Cecilia Sonnenberg]] as Mistress Page. Other members of the cast were [[Christopher Galloway]], [[Michael Drin]], Glynn Day]], [[Timothy Heale]], [[Ronald France]], [[Don Maguire]], [[Douglas Percival]], [[Ron Fenton]], [[Barrie Evrard]], [[Alexander Bickett]], [[Craig Curtis]], [[Michael Burke]], [[Bob Scott]], [[Tony Bent]], [[Cecilia Sonnenberg]], [[Dorothy Scott]] and [[René Ahrenson]]. Set designed by [[Leslie French]] from a contemporary Elizabethan theatre. Dances arranged by [[Jennifer Craig]].

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-'''''The Merry Wives of Windsor''''' is a comedy by William Shakespeare (1564-1616),
+'''''The Merry Wives of Windsor''''' is a comedy by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare]
 == The original text ==
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 "''The Merry Wives of Windsor''" in Wikipedia[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Merry_Wives_of_Windsor].
 ''[[South African Opinion]]'', 2(3):23; 2(5):22, 1945; ''Trek'' 9(22):22; 9(24):22, 1945.