Falstaff rises again at Arts Commons

John Murrell is ready to ‘give the old man his proper due,’ writes Louis B. Hobson

If Canada’s theatre giant John Murrell could take just one book with him to a deserted island, it would be The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

“I’m a passionate lover of Shakespeare. I know him like you know a good friend and Shakespeare’s words are my favourite words to speak,” says Murrell, who is the recipient of the Officer of the Order of Canada, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, the Alberta Order of Excellence, the National Theatre’s Gascon-Thomas Award and the Walter Carsen Prize.

Since 1974, when as a junior high school teacher in Calgary he began writing, Murrell has penned 11 original plays, 12 translations and adaptations plus the librettos for four operas.

On Oct. 25 his newest play, Fat Jack Falstaff’s Last Hour, will premiere in the Arts Commons’ Big Secret Theatre with Murrell playing Shakespeare’s beloved scalawag Jack Falstaff.

Blake Brooker will direct Murrell as he did for the premiere two years ago of Murrell’s Taking Shakespeare.

Denise Clarke will play Falstaff’s long suffering landlady Nell Quickly, with Andy Curtis as her husband Ensign Pistol.

Murrell calls these founding members of One Yellow Rabbit his family.

“I trust Blake, Denise and Andy as much as I love them. It’s really important for an old playwright to surround himself with people who know how to challenge me as much as they help me.

“They’re respectful but they’re also direct and honest.”

Murrell has found that acting, not just writing, his plays is helpful. “It’s one thing to write a speech and pat yourself on the back for how good it sounds in your head. It’s another thing to hear yourself say those lines aloud for a director and realize they don’t work as well as you thought.”

Murrell chuckles when he says that Fat Jack Falstaff is the play Shakespeare forgot to write.

Falstaff appeared as the drinking companion of Prince Hal in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2.

He proved so popular with audiences, Shakespeare gave Falstaff his own play, The Merry Wives of Windsor.

According to Murrell, what Shakespeare didn’t do was deal with the immense hurt Falstaff suffered when Prince Hal tossed him aside as soon as Hal took the crown. In King Henry V, when told that Falstaff is dying, Nell Quickly concludes “the King has killed his heart.”

Murrell says that line is the inspiration for his play.

“I have always thought Shakespeare didn’t give the old man his proper due.

“Henry dismissed him by saying I know thee not, old man. That’s hardly a proper exit for Falstaff.

“Falstaff can’t deal with that kind of rejection from a man he thought was his friend.

“Falstaff is literally heartbroken.”

Murrell adds that from his early plays he has “been fascinated with how people face their last hours.

“I wonder what they think about, what they feel and what they try to solve. Facing death is an important part of every person’s life. We die differently than we live and I’ve tried to explore that with several of my characters.”

With an even heartier chuckle Murrell adds, “with Fat Jack Falstaff’s Last Hour, I get to pretend to be Shakespeare writing the play he never did.”