Bard on the Beach opens 2026 season with The Merry Wives of Windsor on the BMO Mainstage, starting June 9

Laugh-out-loud, music-filled production sets Shakespeare’s play in a fictional soccer-obsessed Vancouver suburb

SPONSORED POST BY Bard on the Beach

Melissa Oei as Mrs. Ford and Jennifer Lines as Mrs. Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Photo by Emily Cooper.

 
 

On June 9, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival launches its 37th season on the BMO Mainstage in Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park with a hilarious take on The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Shakespeare’s beloved comedy lands in a fictional Vancouver suburb that’s seriously obsessed with soccer in this distinctly local production, which is directed by Rebecca Northan and adapted in conjunction with Bruce Horak.

At the centre of the chaos is Falstaff (Ashley Wright)—no longer a wandering knight, but a washed-up former soccer star chasing past glory. Armed with charm, bravado, and spectacular self-delusion, Falstaff hatches a scheme to seduce two clever women of the community: Mrs. Ford (Melissa Oei) and Mrs. Page (Jennifer Lines). What follows is a riot of suburban antics, clever plotting, and comic revenge brimming with music.

The Merry Wives of Windsor runs to September 19. Tickets are available online through the Bard website or by phone through the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559.


Post sponsored by Bard on the Beach.

 
 
 

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