Falstaff, "that huge bombard of sack", is Shakespeare's greatest comic creation. He looms large in Henry IVparts One and Two, and was brought back by public demand in The Merry Wives of Windsor. But is he more than a fat figure of fun? This celebration of his character explores his enduring appeal: Verdi was inspired to write his comic opera, Orson Welles made him the focus of Chimes at
Midnight, and Olivier and Kenneth Branagh both brought the fat knight into their screen adaptations of Henry V. Contributors include Joss Ackland , Timothy West , Robert Stephens , Adrian Noble , Peter Holland , Rosalind Miles , Andrew Rissik and Michael Billington. With Donald Sinden as Sir John Falstaff. Producer Paul Schlesinger