25/08/2026
It's hugely satisfying for a company to hear from their audience that they have successfully achieved what they set out to do. Many members of our audience have expressed great appreciation for our approach to and treatment of "The Taming of the Shrew," both online and in person. As we have mentioned many times on this page, and in our publicity from the outset, we were determined to address the themes and issues of the play head on, rather than following the trend of adapting the material to be more palatable for a modern audience, or provide an unrealistic happy ending. It is rare that a director's initial vision for a production is so closely realised through the actors' performances, but in this case, Rishi Bhardwaj and Rosie Beech perfectly encapsulate what our director was trying to achieve: a horrifyingly malignant Petruchio, who breaks a feisty, vivacious Kate and turns her into a hollow shell of what she once was through sleep deprivation, starvation, and gaslighting. That's not to say that this play, which is a "comedy", is without its hilarious moments; there are many scenes which have our audience chortling merrily throughout the show. This makes the ending of our production more uncomfortable, when Dame Harriet Walter's monologue allows Kate to finally say what she is feeling. Don't just listen to our appraisal, though: have a look at the audience reviews on our page of the Fringe website. Then see for yourself. Tickets still available until 30th August from www.brawvenues.com and the Fringe box office.
