'The Taming of the Shrew' may not be one of my favourite plays of one of the greatest, most important and most influential playwrights who ever lived. It however has always been incredibly entertaining and charming and Katherina and Petruchio are fascinatingly written characters. It was dismissed as misogynistic at the time and still is controversial on that front, but the characterisation, entertainment value and Shakespeare's mastery of language (especially shining in the taming process) really shine.
All the productions/versions available of 'The Taming of the Shrew' are worth seeing and a few of them even are musts. This one from Shakespeare's Globe (the place to go to get the full Shakespeare experience in terms of atmosphere authenticity and keeping the spirits of the plays intact, doing so better and more consistently than Royal Shakespeare Company and Stratford) is one of the must sees and one of the best. It is also in my view one of the best of the Shakespeare Globe productions available on DVD and there are some fine ones available.
Visually, it doesn't come over as too drab or garish in the costuming, which are sumptuous and evocative, and the sets aren't simplistic or overblown. The photography has an intimacy yet manages to be expansive. Loved the intimate and at times spontaneous atmosphere, like being transported back in time. The music fits beautifully with the period and doesn't feel like music overload.
Regarding the staging, it is very tasteful and is also ceaselessly compelling. It may not be the most in depth production of 'The Taming of the Shrew' available, but it is one of the funniest. The comedy is broad and bawdy, which is appropriate, and it manages to not be overdone even when really going for it full barrels. It does so though without missing the point and heart of the play, it does shine in the interaction between Petrucchio and Katherina and the taming and refreshingly wackier than usual interpretation of the former are believable.
One couldn't ask for better when it comes to talking about the performances. Samantha Spiro's shrewish but also heart-breaking Katherina steals the show but also found a lot to admire about the different interpretation of Petrucchio of Simon Paisley Day, which is adventurously wacky while not forgetting the menace and humanity. The two scintillate together, the back and forth both witty and unsettling. Sarah MacRae doesn't make Bianca too bratty and has a real charm to her, while Pearce Quigley achieves the impossible in making the commonly annoying Grumio funny as well as refreshingly subversive.
All in all, outstanding. 10/10.
