Review: The Taming of the Shrew at Sherman Theatre
Last night I headed out with Brummie Gal in Cardiff to review The Taming of the Shrew at Sherman Theatre. I haven’t seen much Shakespeare on the stage over the past few years, so I was keen to see how this version would stand out compared to the classic tale.
Review: The Taming of the Shrew at Sherman Theatre
As ever, I went into this performance blind. I really do prefer to go into a performance without reading a thing beforehand, to see if it really clicks in my mind, heart and soul.
The casting for this performance was perfect. With some recognisable faces, Alexandria Riley (How My Light is Spent) and François Pandolfo (The Motherf**cker with the Hat) amongst them, I had a gut feeling the performances would soar. The cast also included some new faces (for me!) including Scarlett Brookes, Claire Cage, Matt Gavan, Hannah Jarrett-Scott and Louise Ludgate.
The chemistry amongst the performers was utterly perfect, the whole performance felt perfectly rehearsed and there was a definite sense of a ‘team’ amongst them. This always helps propel a performance into magnificent beauty in my opinion.
I particularly loved Hannah Jarret-Scott (Lucentio), as she showed her wonderful talents upon her electric guitar, keyboard and stunning vocals. Her acting was also spot on, with snippets of humour mixed with sadness through her vocal performances. She stood out as one to watch for sure! Her interaction with Riley was perfectly pitched, and their harmonies and chemistry was wonderful to see (and hear!).
Scarlett Brookes also wowed the audience as Petruchio. Her passion and expression was beautifully presented, and I loved how she conveyed her emotions through her eyes during some of the more serious moments of the play. Her interactions with Kate (Matt Gavan) were interesting and intense, and (for me) she veered close to the edge of insanity for the majority of the performance. Gavan held his own as Kate, offering a make version of the untamed Shakespearean character.
When it comes to the story, I feel the ending left me questioning what the whole concept of this re-imagining. I felt there was a whole heap of deep misandry as I left the studio, and I questioned whether this was connected to years of misogyny experienced by so many women; was this play trying to help society see this? Perhaps so.I truly believed the ending would offer a resolution, a point about equality and what we should be striving for as a society, but I was left feeling a little disappointed at the concept that in every woman there lies a Petruchio and in every man there lies a Kate. Life just doesn’t feel quite as simple as that to me…
I also didn’t understand the mention of domestic abuse (male to female); it felt out of place in a performance that seemed so focused on identity. Having read writer Jo Clifford’s notes about the play, this part feels even more confusing. Identity and domestic abuse feel at odds within, and at the end of, the play and I would have liked more focus on identity beyond the ‘male’ and ‘female’. It seems only Muriel’s (François Pandolfo) character offers something a bit less generic and a bit more realistic within the world that I live in, and I wanted more of her!
Having said all that, the writing was witty, clever and fun, yet there were moments of sincerity and intensity. I loved how Clifford used a mixture of Shakespearean and modern language, I loved her witty dialogue and I adored the use of music throughout. The performance was energetic and busy, but in a really good way, and it made me relate it to real life, the hustle and bustle of the world as well as the intricacies of everyone’s lives. I also adored her tongue in cheek moments of critical assessment of Shakespearean performances, from characters to scenes to storylines, the geek in me appreciated these parts of the play big time!
As for the stage, well I loved the design and implementation. Along with the props and costume, the play was really brought to life before our very eyes. I am in awe of whoever came up with the theatre design, it felt luxurious and also intriguing!
The Taming of the Shrew focuses on a twisted version of the original play, with a focus on male and female roles and identity. For me, when it comes to identity, I truly believe we should be 100% striving for who we truly are, without the labels and need to box ourselves in, but at the same time, how do we identify who we are without these labels? We all give ourselves these labels, and perhaps it’s inevitable?
The one thing I am sure of though, is the fact that our labels include so many more things than whether we are men or women. We just need to embrace our differences and work harder at accepting others for who they truly are, regardless of social norms and expectations.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my review of Taming of the Shrew at Sherman Theatre. Tickets range from £9-£18 and the show runs until 16th March.
7/10
Oh, and I mustn’t forget, my Rocky Horror pick form this show goes to François Pandolfo, who I think would make an exquisite Franky!
