The Merry Wives of Windsor - Summer Shakespeare Festival 2026

The Merry Wives of Windsor is part of the 19th Summer Shakespeare Festival in Ostrava, running from July 20 to August 10, 2026 at Silesian Ostrava Castle. This outstanding comedy by William Shakespeare is directed by Jiří Menzel and translated by Martin Hilský. The set was designed by Karel Glogr, costumes by Milan Čorba, and choreography by Jana Hanušová. In the title role of the bon vivant knight Sir John Falstaff, Bolek Polívka excels, with Simona Stašová playing the witty Mrs. Page, and Eva Režnarová as her scheming friend Mrs. Ford. The supporting cast includes Jaromír Dulava, Jaroslav Satoranský, Michal Novotný, Šárka Vaculíková, Jan Cina, Jan Přeučil and others. The play explores female wit and foolish male jealousy – Falstaff uses love primarily as a tool to solve his personal financial crisis. Legend has it that Queen Elizabeth I herself commissioned the comedy from Shakespeare, wanting to see her favourite knight Falstaff in love. The performance runs approximately 2 hours 10 minutes (1 hour 30 minutes / intermission / 40 minutes), ending around 23:00. The auditorium in the lower part of the castle offers VIP zones, boxes, zones 1–3, and a gallery with armchairs, plus zone 4 with benches. Tickets are available through the Ticketmaster network.