The Merry Wives of Windsor
Tickets
Sold out bardonthebeach.org
About
June 9 to September 19, 2026 BMO MAINSTAGE
This laugh-out-loud comedy comes to life as a music-filled production set in and around the community athletic centre of a (fictional) Vancouver suburb seriously obsessed with soccer. The roguish John Falstaff sets out to fix his financial woes by wooing two married women so that he can steal their husbands’ fortunes—only for his targets, Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page, to come together and turn the tables on him. With lively musical numbers woven throughout, this production guarantees laughter, mischief, and merriment.
Adapted by Bruce Horak with Rebecca Northan
Directed by Rebecca Northan
Production run times are subject to change.
Production run time: 2 hours 20 minutes, includes 20 minute intermission
Audience Advisories: non-toxic haze, innuendo
Production Sponsor:
Header image: Melissa Oei as Mrs. Ford & Jennifer Lines as Mrs. Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2026). Directed by Rebecca Northan. Photo & Image Design by Emily Cooper.
The Story
“WINDSOR IS OUR NAME”
Soccer is a way of life in the Vancouver suburb of Windsor, and at the heart of it all is the bustling Windsor Community and Athletic Centre.
The Windsor Stags women’s soccer team has just won the championship, and everyone is celebrating. Judge Robert Shallow arrives with his relative Slender. They are looking for John Falstaff, a former Windsor Stags star who has just swindled Slender out of their money.
When they confront Falstaff and his sidekicks Bardolph and Pistol, an argument ensues. Fortunately, they are interrupted by fans of the women’s soccer team arriving with their star player. Slender seems taken with the team’s captain, Anne Page, but Dr. Caius, the community centre chiropractor, is also hoping to win her heart. However, it seems that Anne Page only has eyes for the captain of the men’s soccer team, Fenton.
“THE WORLD’S MINE OYSTER”
Meanwhile, at Thirsty’s Pub, Falstaff hatches a plan to seduce Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page, the wives of two wealthy community members, to access their fortunes. He writes love letters to both women, but Pistol refuses to play the messenger and further complicates things by telling Mr. Ford and Mr. Page about Falstaff’s scheme.
The next day, Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page compare their letters from Falstaff and discover they are identical. The wives come up with a plan to turn the tables on Falstaff and exact some revenge. What they don’t realize is that their husbands know what Falstaff is up to—and that while Mr. Page knows his wife won’t fall for Falstaff’s advances, Mr. Ford is less certain.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
The game is afoot. Falstaff and Mrs. Ford rendezvous in the women’s change room, but Mrs. Page runs in, pretending Mr. Ford is on his way. They convince Falstaff to hide in a dirty laundry hamper, but to their surprise, Mr. Ford actually bursts in looking for Falstaff. However, the laundry has already been dumped in False Creek—with Falstaff in it.
Delighted, the two women decide to invite Falstaff to another secret meet-up. A jealous Mr. Ford barges in on them again, forcing Falstaff to disguise himself as Mrs. Ford’s elderly aunt. The merry wives decide to finally let their husbands—and the rest of the community centre—in on the joke, and together, they come up with one last prank: one that involves a final hurrah on Falstaff’s beloved soccer pitch.
Translations of “The Story” available in the following languages below, click the button to read!
Chinese (Traditional) Farsi French Korean Punjabi Spanish
The Merry Wives of Windsor “In a Nutshell” is a 6-minute introduction to the play from Bard’s Director of Education, Mary Hartman. To listen, press play below!
https://bardonthebeach.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MWOW-in-a-Nutshell.m4a
This laugh-out-loud comedy comes to life as a music-filled production set in and around the community athletic centre of a (fictional) Vancouver suburb seriously obsessed with soccer. The roguish John Falstaff sets out to fix his financial woes by wooing two married women so that he can steal their husbands’ fortunes—only for his targets, Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page, to come together and turn the tables on him. With lively musical numbers woven throughout, this production guarantees laughter, mischief, and merriment.
Adapted by Bruce Horak with Rebecca Northan
Directed by Rebecca Northan
Production run times are subject to change.
Production run time: 2 hours 20 minutes, includes 20 minute intermission
Audience Advisories: non-toxic haze, innuendo
Production Sponsor:
Header image: Melissa Oei as Mrs. Ford & Jennifer Lines as Mrs. Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2026). Directed by Rebecca Northan. Photo & Image Design by Emily Cooper.
The Story
“WINDSOR IS OUR NAME”
Soccer is a way of life in the Vancouver suburb of Windsor, and at the heart of it all is the bustling Windsor Community and Athletic Centre.
The Windsor Stags women’s soccer team has just won the championship, and everyone is celebrating. Judge Robert Shallow arrives with his relative Slender. They are looking for John Falstaff, a former Windsor Stags star who has just swindled Slender out of their money.
When they confront Falstaff and his sidekicks Bardolph and Pistol, an argument ensues. Fortunately, they are interrupted by fans of the women’s soccer team arriving with their star player. Slender seems taken with the team’s captain, Anne Page, but Dr. Caius, the community centre chiropractor, is also hoping to win her heart. However, it seems that Anne Page only has eyes for the captain of the men’s soccer team, Fenton.
“THE WORLD’S MINE OYSTER”
Meanwhile, at Thirsty’s Pub, Falstaff hatches a plan to seduce Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page, the wives of two wealthy community members, to access their fortunes. He writes love letters to both women, but Pistol refuses to play the messenger and further complicates things by telling Mr. Ford and Mr. Page about Falstaff’s scheme.
The next day, Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page compare their letters from Falstaff and discover they are identical. The wives come up with a plan to turn the tables on Falstaff and exact some revenge. What they don’t realize is that their husbands know what Falstaff is up to—and that while Mr. Page knows his wife won’t fall for Falstaff’s advances, Mr. Ford is less certain.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
The game is afoot. Falstaff and Mrs. Ford rendezvous in the women’s change room, but Mrs. Page runs in, pretending Mr. Ford is on his way. They convince Falstaff to hide in a dirty laundry hamper, but to their surprise, Mr. Ford actually bursts in looking for Falstaff. However, the laundry has already been dumped in False Creek—with Falstaff in it.
Delighted, the two women decide to invite Falstaff to another secret meet-up. A jealous Mr. Ford barges in on them again, forcing Falstaff to disguise himself as Mrs. Ford’s elderly aunt. The merry wives decide to finally let their husbands—and the rest of the community centre—in on the joke, and together, they come up with one last prank: one that involves a final hurrah on Falstaff’s beloved soccer pitch.
Translations of “The Story” available in the following languages below, click the button to read!
Chinese (Traditional) Farsi French Korean Punjabi Spanish
The Merry Wives of Windsor “In a Nutshell” is a 6-minute introduction to the play from Bard’s Director of Education, Mary Hartman. To listen, press play below!
https://bardonthebeach.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MWOW-in-a-Nutshell.m4a
