'The Merry Wives of Windsor' at the RSC Stratford-upon-Avon

Strangely, I'd never been to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's home town, so when I did finally go I wanted to see a play and it so happened that 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' is on at the moment, a play I haven't seen before, so why not? This one seems to have been updated to Essex and has wheelie-bins, swimming pools, golf buggies and all sorts of modern stuff but it still hits its pompous mark. The mark is that everlasting epicurean rascal, Sir John Falstaff and everything he stands for. Poor Sir John.

Falstaff is a bit short of the readies so he cocks his hat at the two richest women in town, ignoring the fact that they're both married, because, after all, why let technicalities get in the way. He's a fine figure of a man, in the most rotund and beer-sodden meaning of man, so what's not to like. The two ladies are best friends and confide to each other that they've received letters from Sir John professing his love and, when they see the letters are identical, decide to play a prank on their would-be lover. Several pranks, in fact. And so falls our noble knight.

 Poor Sir John suffers indignity after indignity but pursues his beloved - or rather her money - like a true Englishman and never gives up. It's this dogged persistence that means you've almost got to admire him, going back time and again to be humiliated but always with the hope of success. A bit like Brexit really.

His final humiliation is in the town square when he's dressed in furs and horns as Herne the Hunter and he's taunted by the great and good of the town. I'd question their goodness, to be honest, but this is Shakespeare. If you ignore the rather unpleasant bullying and humiliating of one person then it's a very enjoyable play about relationships, social mores and gentlemen. For a Shakespeare comedy it even had me laughing and my favourite line was when, after asking for an egg to be in his beer in a time of need he asks for another beer and says he'll have "no pullet-sperm in my brewage". I went into one at that!

It was rude and so unsubtle it should win awards but, you know what? I enjoyed it immensely. Effective, simple sets and lighting, modernised language where appropriate, talk of wheelie-bins - it all worked for me. David Troughton was excellent as our Falstaff and he must be exhausted every night when he gets out of that fat-suit. I also liked Rebecca Lacey as a no-nonsense Mistress Page that reminded me of Prunella Scales. It was great fun and I'm pleased that I've seen it.