The description ‘larger than life’ is one of those potential jellyfish, back-handed compliments that I know I wouldn’t be all that enthused to receive. But it’s a phrase we used in the blurb for one of our books in the past year, and is aptly applied to the character of Shakespeare’s Falstaff.

Not only does the old knight fit the bill thanks to his, ahem, corpulent frame, but he’s a prime example of a character so vibrant and full of potential that they live on beyond the original writer’s work.

Glyndebourne’s programme this year includes Verdi’s comic opera Falstaff. The first performance was on Sunday 19th but it will be available to watch at your local cinema or streamed online on 17th June. Full details here and a snippet of a trailer:

If opera doesn’t happen to be your thing, you could also check out Robert Nye’s imagining of Falstaff’s memoirs instead.

Lesley Crooks, Sales & Digital Manager