Farce with Attitude: Bowler Crab Tames Shrew
VICTORIA KINGHAM
Bowler Crab’s presentation of The Taming of the Shrew was set in the meadow of a beautiful old farmhouse at Three Oaks, staged in a position where the trees at the back not only provided the platform with a picturesque frame, but also served as part of the plot – in default of any convenient furniture the characters occasionally concealed themselves among the pines, and the audience sat on bales of hay.
The plays of William Shakespeare act as a kind of gateway to eternity, to folk tales and stories told since the dawn of civilisation. They also reflect successive performance techniques from the Mummers’ plays of the twelfth century, through theatres in the round, elaborate proscenium theatres, and back again to today’s Street Theatre and the many small touring companies, like Bowler Crab.
This very intelligent production evinced all the above. The lack of stage direction in Shakespeare’s original allows for an infinite variety of interpretation, and the story, piecemeal though it is, maintains, like many traditional narratives, a contemporary relevance to the general human condition.
Producer Stephen John intentionally retained the play-within-a-play structure (often left out) because, he writes, the framing device has “a drastic impact on the treatment of the tone, style and motivation behind Katherina and Petruchio’s story.” And though cleverly played for maximum humour, the play pointed ironically at the disparity between male expectations of women and women’s still-diminished possibility of living a life truly free.
None of the above could of course be achieved without considerable acting talent. The nine cast members never faltered, despite the cold wind and occasional rain. Elly Tipping’s Katherina was simultaneously funny and clever, beautifully bad-tempered, only mockingly submissive. Michael Cummings as Petruchio was her equal; together they were beautiful in the famous scene (Act II, Scene I) where they exchange one-liners in a gorgeous excess of stichomythia. Katherina’s concluding speech was impassioned, serious, perfect.
Beshrew me, though, if I don’t mention the wondrous costumes. They were meaningfully absurd; Bianca had a pink traditional tutu, ballet shoes, pink tights, but Kate (the Shrew) had a black Goth one, which she wore with Doc Martins, wide-gauge fishnet tights and elbow-gloves, a studded collar, and scary eye make-up which could be interpreted as modern Goth, but also looked like a traditional comedy mask. Curtis appeared in a traditional clown’s costume and the disguises of the two ‘music masters’ (daft false beards) and the ‘wife’ of Christopher Sly (badly fitted, visible false chest enhancer) were comically appalling.
Petruchio’s late appearance at his wedding in unsuitable clothing is never explained in the original play but we assume that he wishes to assert his paid-up rights as a prospective bridegroom; this Petruchio was clothed in a white crimplene dress (C&A, 1960s), and green cowboy boots. Why not, indeed?
Everyone should see this: Shakespeare at its best and its most accessible, only available for a limited period, thoughtfully produced and acted with skill and enthusiasm.
There are local performances throughout the rest of July and August. Details at www.bowler-crab.com/nextevent
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