REVIEWS
GLOUCESTERSHIRE ECHO
The Taming of the Shrew at Newark Park, Wotton-under-Edge, June 17 2011, by Donald Hollins.
SURPRISE, surprise - it was raining! The glorious setting of the National Trust's Newark Park presented a dank and soggy sight when we all arrived complete with umbrellas, oilskins, rugs and flasks of hot coffee. Soon, however, we cheered up as the male cast greeted us with quips about sunny Padua, whence we were soon transported and soon forgot the rain - although it is difficult to applaud when holding an umbrella.
A reminder of the main story: Baptista has two daughters, Katharina the Shrew who is the elder and Bianca, who has many suitors but cannot marry until a husband has been found for Katharina. Petruchio undertakes to woo the Shrew to gain her dowry and to help his friend Hortensio win Bianca. Petruchio is a rollicking, rough-edged character who today would be labelled a male chauvinist pig. Katharina is initially the image of a 21st century liberated woman so the scene is set for a big clash.
From beginning to end this lively, exuberant team of mostly young actors regaled and entertained us with non-stop action with cues being quickly taken up and Johnny Coppin's apt music complementing the events on stage. Director Michael Dyer had recruited a talented group of actors who had obviously quickly bonded together . The action unfolded before a simple set and the costumes were just right, those for Katharina and Bianca being most fetching. I thought that all the six main actors gave splendid performances but would single out the Petruchio of Paul Hampton and the Tranio of Andrew Bowen-Jones for special mention along with the Gremio of Adam Trembath( he also played a fetching Bianca). I was pleased to hear all the lines being enunciated clearly although the local peacocks added their own voices on occasion. I cannot imagine what emancipated peacocks made of Katharina's total change of heart at the end when she declared: "Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper / Thy life thy sovereign...."