Shakespearean players bring outdoor theatre to Dumfries
The award-winning outdoor theatre company Illyria is set to visit The Crichton with an exciting production of The Merry Wives of Windsor this summer.
Not sure of the plot? Falstaff is skint. Dismissing his band of reprobate followers is insufficient to shore up his finances. So he decides to seduce the wives of two merchants in the hope of relieving them of some of their wealth. Mistress Page and Mistress Ford are best friends who keep no secrets from one another – so when they receive identical love letters from Falstaff the outraged women vow to share revenge. But Falstaff, led by an organ that isn’t his brain, endures humiliation, terror, even physical pain in his repeated amorous pursuits. What can the merry wives do to teach him a lesson he’ll never forget?
Illyria return to Dumfries to entertain local audiences. “At its best, theatre is shared storytelling. And to experience this in the open air is uniquely special.” says Artistic Director Oliver Gray.
“Outdoors, with good company, good food and a glass of something bubbly is a much less formal way to enjoy theatre,” Oliver continues. “And there’s something truly unifying about actors performing, and audiences listening, all under the same sky.”
The outdoor theatre show will take place on Crichton Memorial Church Lawn, whatever the weather, on Tuesday 22nd July 2025.
With an esteemed reputation spanning more than thirty years, Illyria’s productions are simply unmissable. There’s no better way to celebrate British summertime.
Tickets are available now. Doors open at 6:00pm, performance 7pm – 9:30pm (approx)
