Taming of the Shrew - performance by an all female cast

This performance was incredibly powerful, encouraging different impressions depending on the age of the secondary students viewing this production. The reasons for this are based on three aspects:

1) the type and degree of humour involved in the play (and the approach that was taken to it); 2) the fact that the cast was an all female company and 3) the fact that the ‘lessons’ within the play are (sometimes) subtle—although this particular production chose to make them somewhat more obvious.

The Taming of the Shrew is typically a popular stage performance, and this occasion was no different. I enjoyed it immensely, but thought there was likely to be a sharp contrast between the abilities of upper and lower secondary groups to grasp the pace. The verbal jousting is very quick and demanding of the audience,

and the ribald humour demands a mature acknowledgement of certain social mores in order to appreciate their significance. That said, much of the humour (and point of the speeches) was echoed in the visual action on the stage, and would perhaps have aided in developing the meaning of the scene. I would expect that older teens would have found it easier keep apace.

The fact that the cast was all female might have lead to a bit of confusion for a younger audience, but I would expect even greater enjoyment for an older secondary pupil. By having both of the larger-than-life characters of Petruccio and Katherine played by women, the potential self-mockery of their personas becomes complicated. This is especially true for the character of Petruccio, who when played by a woman, becomes a more complex character. When played by a man, we might merely admire or dislike his antics, while as a women

Some topics in this essay:
Petruccio Katherine, Taming Shrew, Bianca Hortensio’s, Theatre London, Lucentio Bianca, female cast, taming shrew, production chose, secondary students, cast female,