The Taming of the Shrew, ASC, Dec 29, 1997

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

Australian Shakespeare Company.

In Botanical Gardens, Melbourne, until March 1998

Reviewed by Kate Herbert around Dec 29 1997

There are many ways to interpret Shakespeare's 'Taming of the Shrew'. Playing it outdoors limits the more subtle choices.

Glenn Elston's production in the Botanical Gardens follows that of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Twelfth Night', all of which have approached Will's text with broad and comic brush strokes.

The locations are dreamy. The modern prologue is set on an emerald hill sloping toward the lake. The ensuing romance plays before a backdrop of leggy, backlit palms and a rowdy cast of fruit bats. It is gorgeous - particularly when accompanied by a champagne supper.

This entertaining production zips along at a cracking pace for two and a half hours It is a broad burlesque with plenty of physical comedy, wordplay and verbal innuendo, much, but not all of which, is inherent in Shakespeare's text. The audience seemed uproariously happy with the Benny Hill 'nudge nudge' style.

Baptista (Ernie Gray) has two daughters: the wild-flower shrew, 'Kate the cursed' (Nadine Garner) and Bianca, the sweet model of tedious virginity. The untameable, bonny yet undesirable Kate must be married before Bianca can accept her many suitors. Enter Petruchio (Nick Eadie) to save the day by whisking Kate - and her fortune -away to a life of domestic subservience.

The inevitable problem arises. How does a late 20th century production deal with the profoundly sexist premise that Kate must be rendered impotent and her spirit broken by the ruthless Petruchio? Most often, as is the case here, she eventually chooses to see her repression as a game to be played and enjoyed at the expense of others.

Unfortunately, Garner provides no sexual tension or subtlety in her one-note performance of Kate. She shouts relentlessly in a shrill screech that only ceases when Kate acquiesces to her fascist husband. Her final speech is completely lost.

Eadie's Petruchio is attractive, blokey and his physical antics are funny. His wooing of Kate was directed inappropriately as a 'grab ya, gotcha' sort of violation that eliminates all the truly sexy and seductive elements in their banter.

Nick Lyon's music gives a delightfully evocative Renaissance flavour and the ensemble all provide some hilarious slapstick with great comic turns from Meridy Eastman, Kevin Hopkins and James Wardlaw. . Ernie Gray's is a fine Baptista. His inimitable comic skill allows an essentially straight character a further ironic dimension.

This is enjoyable and accessible Shakespeare -but it needs a stronger Kate.

KATE HERBERT