The Taming of the Shrew - Globe

I'm waiting for reviews before booking - press night on Tuesday. Maybe the reviews will help answer your questions if nobody else replies.

It could be a contender for worst show/“director’s take” at the Globe.

Those poor actors.

puppets?!

Several of main characters have puppet like creations that they hold in front of themselves, animating mouths while speaking their lines. I couldn’t see why this was done.

A clever use was made of Christopher Sly throughout.

The stage is dominated by a gigantic inflatable teddy bear, the relevance of which I would like to ascertain.

Well this is a first for me and after very careful consideration the show was very worthy of the one star I gave this. Taming the Shrew is a comedy and not a tragedy, seeing this production others will think otherwise.

As said on another thread the actress playing Katherina was playing the role with script in hand, which completely destroys her acting and interaction with other characters. The last 5 productions I have seen there was someone who had a script in hand, exceptions I made because of Covid and understood that because of the pandemic they had to replace actors at very short notice, but we are well past this now - actors need to learn their lines and the Globe need to pay understudies, they are not a poor organisation.

Someone posted on another thread that the Globe needs an AD who can make artistic decisions, I concur.

There must be actors out there who have played Kate before who could quickly get back up to speed with the lines

It's not performed as often some of the comedies, but there are actors who will know the part

And if this has been going on for a few days, the actor has had time to learn most of the lines.

Poor form

That is appalling.

So many tourists go there, I honestly feel the current regime - Board and AD - have damaged the reputation of London. Not the end of the world but word-of-mouth back home, etc.

They certainly believe they do righteous work at the Globe - the LGBTQetc and Woke themes, for example - but it's difficult to not think they are so lost in that commitment the (Shakespearean) platform.becomes misshapen, and ultimately undermined.

I thought that I Joan and Henry viii worked very well but I agree in general. So often the efforts also result in very weak casting. 

Unless you are allergic to oranges!

Press reviews for Shrew at Globe now appearing