Falstaff role brings Simon back to Worthing's Shakespeare

Simon Pennicott, who travels down to join the company from Stockport, takes to the stage as Falstaff: “It's great to be back. The first time I was with this company was 2014. I was involved with an agent who put me forward and put me in touch with the director Nick Young who did this particular Shakespeare. I auditioned for Nick and I've done it pretty much on and off every year since – apart from Covid, of course.

“I just love the whole package of it, the whole environment of the productions. I don't know if it's Nicks power of getting a cast together or if it's just a happy accident every time but he gets really good casts together and a really good cast environment.

"Nick’s style of directing is great.

"He has his own views on Shakespeare and his own views on direction but certainly with the roles that I usually play, the clown, he lets the reins off quite a lot.

"He directs me to a certain extent but then accepts that a large part of it will be me and my own decisions, and it is nice to have that.

"It is really good to have directors that are not so hands on with all of the work.

“I live in Stockport. It is a fair journey down here but there is a lady that I can stay with in Worthing who has accommodated me all the times I've been here.

"And it is reasonably priced and it is a good circle of friends.

“Falstaff is an interesting one to do. It is the biggest Shakespeare role that I have ever played and it is close to being the biggest role in any show that I've ever played. It is very difficult to do because so many people have done the role before but I've tried not to get bogged down in that or look at what other people have done. I want to approach it my way.

“He is a clown first and foremost and going back to the original Shakespearean idea he was written for the original Shakespearean clown Kemp.

"It was not even written for one of the great Shakespearean lead characters.

"He is a buffoon but he is quite an intelligent guy. He has quite high status but at the same time he has lost track a little in his life.

"He was a knight perhaps and adored by people perhaps several tens of years ago. Now he is a bit fat and old.

"He is quirky but people are just laughing at him.

"I certainly do feel a degree of sympathy for him.

"At the start you don't have a lot of sympathy because he is involved in a scheme that everyone around can see isn't going to work but as the play goes on it feels like people have taught him a lesson but are now just over egging it and going further and further.

"And it's like they are now doing something nasty to someone.

"They push it all a little bit too far. It’s like ‘What else can we due to this fat old man?’ so I do feel a little bit sorry for him. He becomes like a figure of fun.”

Tickets can be bought in advance through Worthing Theatres box office on 01903 206206 or via their website wtm.uk.

Tickets can also be bought on the gate 90 minutes before each show (cash only).