The Taming of the Shrew

Synopsis

Two wealthy sisters in Padua must be married off. The modest, demure Bianca has no shortage of suitors, but who on earth will take the wild, ungovernable, ?shrewish' Katherina? Perhaps the gold-digging Petruchio, as maddeningly strong willed and perverse as Katherina herself, will be equal to the task of bullying her to the altar. Shakespeare's outrageous comedy introduces one of the theatre's great screwball double-acts, a couple hellbent on confusing and outwitting each other right up to its controversial conclusion.

Our Review:

11 April 2013

Always viewed as a ‘problem’ play because of its misogynistic treatment of the central character, the difficulties in this area are interestingly scrambled by Propeller because of their all-male casting but, ultimately, there’s no getting around the fact that this is neither Shakespeare’s finest work nor one that chimes with present-day conceptions of how things oughta be between men and women.

Like their Twelfth Night, which runs in tandem with Shrew at The Lowry this week, Propeller the piece on a two-level, shades of grey set, with a first floor colonnade that overlooks a blasted mansion littered with giant mirrored wardrobes and chests of drawers, all backed by a seriously brooding sky and giant-sized reproductions of amorous Old Masters. It’s in a wide-ranging collection of modern dress styles from Hawaiian shirts to backless chaps-like jeans and jocks, the latter getting a few startled hoots from the audience.

Convicti...

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