THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. To 28 April.

London

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
by William Shakespeare

Wilton’s Music Hall Graces Alley Ensign Street E1 8JB To 28 April 2007
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Wed 2.30pm
Runs 2hr 40min One interval

TICKETS: 020 7702 2789
www.wiltons.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 22 March

A happy shrew with a sad servant who’s very funny and a pair of mutually appreciative lovers.
Casting director here is Ginny Schiller. Shrew-tamer Petruchio’s servant is actor Adrian Schiller. If family values had anything to do with the casting, then good for them.

Schiller is an hilarious Grumio. A natural depressive, this glum-faced servant moves disconsolately through the action, carrying others’ luggage. If Godot’s Lucky could speak, after a particularly hard day he’d sound like this. Otherwise, this is a comparatively happy Shrew.

Katherine may be “curst” in the Elizabethan sense of bad-tempered, but Rachael Stirling shows she’s cursed too in the sense of ill-fated. Her hopes turn to disappointed anger at her father’s dismissive attitude. She is forceful, having learned that a black-haired girl who chooses dark clothes and trainers has to push her way with a tall, leggy sister who matches her blonde hair with pink outfit and furry-boots.

So even Petruchio’s rough attentions are an improvement - at least he pays attention to her. And her strength’s clear from their first encounter, asserting she’s called Katherine with a slight, but definite emphasis on the name.

Director Nick Hutchison overplays Siobhan Hewlett’s Bianca as manipulative minx, breaking into tears in her father’s presence, smirking at her sister when he’s not looking. Bianca’s later, genuine happiness suggests her life too was distorted in Baptista’s hothouse. Philip Voss adds to this sense as his heartily-smiling Baptista emphasises the money his daughters’ marriages will harvest him.

Amid this, and the multiple deceptions of Bianca’s suitors, Petruchio and Kate form an instant bond; his wealth-criterion for a wife is almost an afterthought. Oliver Chris plays him with uncertainty; from the time Kate objects to marrying him, his facial muscles keep showing the effort it costs to keep up the charade. When he asks if anyone knows a better way with a shrew, he really would like an alternative. The sudden switch as he roars at Kate shows the tough-guy manner as pure cover.

Hutchison’s production comes close as any to reconciling Shrew’s nastiness with modern sensibility, though it’s never something that’ll fall easily into place. This is, though, a good start to what may become a Shakespeare series.

Lucentio: Charles Aitken
Usherette/Officer/Widow: Clare Barrett
Tranio: Peter Bramhill
Petruchio/Sly: Oliver Chris
Gremio: John Conroy
Hortensio: Daniel Goode
Bianca: Siobhan Hewlett
Pedant: Ciaran McIntyre
Biondello: Sam O’Mahony-Adams
Grumio: Adrian Schiller
Katherine: Rachael Stirling
Vincentio: Leon Tanner
Baptista Minola: Philip Voss

Director: Nick Hutchison
Designer: Annie Gosney
Lighting: Hansjorg Schmidt

2007-03-29 02:15:11