The Globe production is just superb. Lucky enough to see it live, and I can honestly say I've never seen an actor just plain old dominate the stage like Roger Allam. That was the performance that made me realize that Shakespeare is not just witty funny, but can be absolutely laugh out loud hilarious in the right…

The problem I had with this production is that Richard Eyre seemed set upon establishing a dour mood in the Eastcheap scenes that is at odds with the actual text. At court, yes, but in the taverns? I understand the idea of playing Falstaff as a melancholic lowlife – and the melancholy part certainly works in part 2 –…