Friday 6th May 2016, 11:30am, Riverside Theatre, Parramatta
Sport for Jove's interpretation of
William Shakespeare's
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW highlights that society hasn't come that far since the 16th Century. Director Damien Ryan blends the iconic story with physical humor, music and the seemingly progressive 1920's to prove that the misogynistic attitude towards women that existed in Elizabethan times remains just as relatable to contemporary audiences.
We first meet student Lucentio (Chris Stalley) and his sister Tania(Eloise Winestock) as they come across a sound stage with retro film camera, canvas screen, wooden ladder and large timber equipment box on coasters, the first indications of the Silent Film Era setting. The two look on as the movie set comes to life to the strains of jazz music as a façade of a house is moved in and a blonde haired masked bandit fights of a series of wild-west sheriffs in a well-executed, exaggerated fight scene as silent movie captions flicker across the canvas screen. As we learn the director is father Baptista Minola (
Robert Alexander) and the leading lady is Bianca Minola (Lizzie Schebesta), his younger daughter, pursued by two suitors, the elder daughter Katharina (Danielle King) arrives in a bold display of feminine independence.
The setting of the 1920's gives designer Anna Gardiner the freedom to further highlight Katharina's rebelliousness and defiance of her father's will for her to be ladylike and find a husband. Whilst her sister, who enjoys the attentions of men, is presented as favoring more 'girly' appearance when not acting for the camera, Katharina is more practical, retaining pants until made to don a dress for her wedding. Katharina's suitor, Petruchio (James Lugton) is set up as a Navy captain, in formal dress uniform with an attentive able seaman Grumio (Mick Cullen) at his side and a ship full of scruffy sailors. Along with the navy uniforms, Gardiner has utilized a flexible set to give the impression of a ship's mess and below decks space. Ryan's choice to change Lucentio's manservant Tranio into Tania sees the subterfuge for Lucentio to get closer to Bianca take on an extra layer as Lucentio is now passed off as sister Tania. Similarly, Ryan had changed Lucentio and Tania's father Vincentio into their mother, famous model, Vincentia (Angela Bauer) to add a bit more flair and seek to create a few more female roles.
Ryan has injected physical humour to soften the gravity of the underlying themes. This physicality is executed incredibly well by the entire company, from the ducking at sound of the airplane making passes overhead and the perfectly timed responses to a rolling ship, seemingly done without audible prompts. He has utilised Silent Movie style projections to help fill out plotlines and provide a variety of mediums as the performers and audience turn to see what the cameras have captured in off stage areas, in a detail that wouldn't have been possible onstage. He also employs the comedy of repetition to reinforce ideas, whether it is establishing that Petruchio has bought his bride onboard his rolling ship, or that he'll keep repeating his 'torture' till she breaks and gives in, all of which Lugton presents with a sinister calmness to counter King's seething Katharina. The response of his crew in this instance adds an extra layer to the comedy to soften the cruelty of his method of "taming the shrew". Sound designer Tom Allum adds to the lightness of the work with the period music during scene changes and a variation of traditional Sea shanty, adopted to suit the Italian cities in the story and the characters, sung brightly by Petruchio's crew.
The choice to bring the work into an era where it seemed Women were making progress in equality plays as a contrast to the desire for the men in the story to have Katharina comply with what they think a woman should be along with a reminder that some things still haven't changed by the 21st century. Emily Pankhurst and her Suffragettes were winning the right for women to vote. Women like Amelia Earhart were donning pants and flying goggles and taking to the skies in numbers enough for the Femia Cup to be established even though they continued to battle with sexism in the industry that restricted their ability to make money out of their skills. Women now have the right to vote and fly commercial planes but girls are still told that they are lesser whether it be in pay gaps, glass ceilings, the fashion industry, and what is marketed for girls.
The choice of a film studio also serves to highlight the facades and acts of deception that play out. Between Bianca fooling her father into thinking she's a good girl studying with her tutor, her suitors seeking to fool Baptista and Lucentio and Tania dressing up a stranger as their mother, there are a lot of lies being spun for personal gain. Stalley passing off Lucentio as the female German teacher with no knowledge of German is wonderful, as is the petite Winestock trying to pass herself of as Lucentio.
This production of
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW makes Shakespeare more accessible whilst retaining an otherworldly charm with the period setting. Sport for Jove are known for their interpretations of classic works and this does not disappoint. It is an entertaining performance whilst allowing reflection on the parallels with modern society.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Riverside Theatre, Parramatta
May 5 - 7th, 2016
Seymour Centre, Chippendale
May 19 - 28th, 2016
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