Taming of the Shrew is famously one of William Shakespeare’s 'problem plays.' A lot of directors and companies won’t go near it and honestly, fair enough. The chaotic marriage plot and battle-of-the-sexes humour can feel at odds with how we think about gender, autonomy, and power today. But for me, that tension is exactly what makes the show so exciting to tackle.

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I saw a documentary where Meryl Streep talked about playing Katerina opposite Raul Julia, and something she said struck me: 'It’s the story of a relationship of two people who don’t just come together quietly in a cafe. They run *smash* into each other.' And she’s right.

In this cut of the text, you can really see the love between Kate and Petruchio - not soft, polite love, but the kind where two people finally meet someone who can match them. Someone who recognises the armour, understands the games, and is playing them too.

I’ve been ridiculously fortunate with this cast and creative team. Every person involved cares about and loves these characters. We’ve spent our time together digging into the strength, humour, love, and sheer gameplay sitting underneath every choice. 

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In the feminist version, we’re asking some big questions: Who has power? Who has a voice? And why does society keep trying to 'tame' women who don’t fit its mould? Instead of seeing Katherine as a 'difficult' problem, we see her pushing back against a world that’s uncomfortable with her self-possession. Her so-called 'shrewishness' says a lot more about the society around her than it does about her. In our show Kate always makes the choice. It's her choice to go with him. Her choice to join in his games. Her choice to win the bet at the end. Petruchio sees her wit, empowers her and together they use society's 'rules' against them. 

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The gender-swapped approach adds a different layer. Flipping the genders forces us to look at how much of the conflict in this play comes from social rules rather than behaviour. When Petruchio becomes a woman holding authority, or Katherina becomes a man fighting the role he’s expected to play, everything shifts. Traits that were once brushed off as 'male bravado' or 'female hysteria' suddenly look like what they are: cultural expectations we’ve all been taught to perform.

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I hope you can see the genuine love and recognition between our leads, feel as if you're in on the games and care about our characters as much as we do. I hope it sparks conversation around love, power, gender, and the strange social choreography we’re all somehow still navigating. And most of all... I hope you enjoy the show!

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- Emma Austin (Director)