When it comes to Shakespearean comedies The Merry Wives of Windsor isn’t usually all that memorable to most people, despite it being an incredible, witty comedy full of people playing practical jokes on each other.

As well as to coincide with the Bard’s 400th anniversary, this is precisely why Proscenium - a theatre group based in Harrow - are putting on this a production of this play... with a twist. And we caught up with 55-year-old Shirley Wootten from Pinner, who is director the production, to find out a little more about the show.

What can audiences expect from your production of The Merry Wives of Windsor?

It’s an ensemble piece, where everyone adds to the fun. The cast comprises some performers who are very comfortable with Shakespeare’s language, and others who are coming to him for the first time. It’s one of Shakespeare’s lightest pieces, and mostly written in prose, so ideal for a wide audience.

Is there anything you have changed for your version of the play?

We’ve set it in the 1920s, a post-war setting, which makes sense of the characters of Falstaff and his cronies, Pistol and Nim, drifting after a conflict that did not enrich any of them, but has left them in need of funds.

We’ve also made the Host of the Garter Inn into a Hostess, to allow at least one more of our actresses a chance to perform.

Why did you choose this particular Shakespearian play to commemorate his 400th anniversary?

It suits our membership in that it offers something for more than one main female character - think Cleopatra or Lady Macbeth, alone, practically in a sea of men. It’s the only one of Shakespeare’s plays to feature women, exclusively, in the title. But it also offers a range of superb character parts for the men in the company. And it’s fun to rehearse and to perform. There has to be a balance of enjoyment for cast and audience alike and I think Merry Wives provides that.

Can you tell me more about Proscenium?

We were founded in 1924. Since then, our aim has been to present classic and contemporary plays to as wide an audience as possible. Since 1990, performances have taken place at the Harrow Arts Centre and, more recently, at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham. The group stages Shakespeare about once every three seasons, so many performing members enjoy the experience and give very good value on stage.

How long have you been with the group for and have you always directed for them?

I joined Proscenium in 2006, and had my first outing with them was as a director, but since then I have balanced directing with acting. Merry Wives is the final production in my three year tenure as the group’s artistic director, so it has been my responsibility to ensure that the group has had four plays and directors for each of the plays in each season.

Can you tell me more about your background in theatre?

I joined the Kodak Theatre Group in Harrow in 1987 as a chorus member for that year’s panto, Aladdin. And realised that I had been searching for a dramatic outlet my whole life. Being on stage felt right.

Growing up, did you always enjoy drama?

School productions had been sparse, although enjoyable. My first memory of proper theatre was a school trip to the newly-opened National Theatre in the mid-1970s and feeling the excitement generated by live theatre, which flooded off the stage and transmitted itself to the audience.

What was your first experience of the theatre… how old were you?

Probably panto, aged about 8.

What did you study?

English Literature and History, at University of East Anglia.

Do you have a day job?

I’m a copywriter. I work part-time for a design and marketing studio in Pinner, called Kinetic MCD, and the rest of the time as a freelance.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Can’t remember - I haven’t had any spare time for about three months... But cinema, reading and gardening feature in less manic months.

Compass Theatre, Glebe Avenue, Uxbridge, Ickenham, UB10 8PD, until Saturday, June 18. Details: 01895 250615, hillingdontheatres.uk