The Taming of the Shrew, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford - review
The opening line of the programme explains: "Baptista Minola is seeking to sell off her son Katherine." Yes, it's gender-swapping time at the Royal Shakespeare Company - again.
In this frenzied, memorable and hugely entertaining show, directed by Justin Audibert, Shakespeare's male characters are played by women and the women by men.
So big, butch Petruchio - remember Richard Burton in the 1967 movie? - becomes fiesty feminist Petruchia, mad as a box of frogs and hell-bent on taming uppity posh boy (confusingly called Katherine) with as much domestic violence as it takes.
Claire Price is Petruchia and she is a constant joy. You can't help laughing at her even as she mercilessly bullies her hapless husband Katherine played by Joseph Arkley.
There are, to be fair, a couple of jokes at the expense of women - like the fact that Petruchia can't whistle properly and one dame hasn't figured out how to draw her sword from its scabbard.
Purists will argue that some of the Bard's lines simply don't work in gender-swapping, especially in the final speech when the cowed husband reflects on his own soft body and the hard physical work done by women.
But these are minor issues in a big, bold and imaginative show complete with some great musical numbers and an entire scene conducted in sign language for the deaf. Never seen that before.
The Taming of the Shrew is at Stratford until August 31. It will be live-screened at selected cinemas on June 5 and is on tour across the UK from September 20 to April 4, 2020.
