The Taming of the Shrew

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s tour of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew came to Baths’ Theatre Royal.  A whirlwind of bawdy humour, seemingly fearsome arguments and an awful lot of romance, suitors and character interchanging, there was not a single boring moment within the play.

The performers were impeccable, particularly the leading female Katherina, whose scorn had the audience draw back in their seats, yet drew hysterical laughs from the women in the audience as she fought with me using rather underhand tactics.  Her opposite, Petruchio matches her scorn with quick wit and steady confidence.  Their chemistry makes Katherina’s journey seem believable, though harsh.  The Lord and his servants from the introduction were sharp and funny; clearly showing the audience what was happening and leading them into the story.  This is particularly effective when attempting a Shakespeare play, as it allows the audience to adjust to the difference in language, as well as putting everyone at ease.

The set was ingenious, set up like large bed covering the stage, with a slope toward the back wall with doors and windows.  It not only allowed for sudden appearances and disappearances, but for more dramatic stunt work to be carried out with ease, as there was no need for wires or bulky crash mats.  The set was established as a bed in the opening scene, and was a continuing source of amusement covering scene changes, as the characters of Sly and the Page would chase each other around under the covers, Sly attempting to grab the Page and him cunningly avoiding his hands.  They were also present constantly on stage, a reminder that the play was just that, a play within a play.

Set in Padua, the lighting was warm in the towns, suggesting almost a closeness in the air, heightened when Katherina was fighting, almost as though the air was thick with the tension from her.  When on the long walk with her husband, the lighting made the stage seem bare and stark, like the desert.  These subtle differences made all the differences, as they reflected the changes within the characters as well as the times of day and the locations within the play. This was furthered by the use of live music throughout the play, cleverly appearing through the various windows and doors in the back wall.  This music added a new dimension to the play, making the parties and celebrations thrown seem more decadent and bawdy, as these glimpses through the back wall also shed light on the more secretive aspects of life for the upper classes presented in the play.

The show was a triumph in all aspects, a must see for Shakespeare lovers and for those who simply want to see a good play.