The Taming of the Shrew

A comedy by William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare's play

Believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592, it is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies. A much debated play, and adapted in many ways over the years.

Performance history of the original version in South Africa

In English

1809: The play was first put on in South Africa (1809) in the popular Garrick version (see below under Catharine and Petruchio), possibly the first production of a full-length Shakespeare play in South Africa, although the first part of Henry IV had been performed there already in 1801 for the opening of the new venue. This version would be done a few more times.

First performed in the original form, ***

Presented by the St George's Grammar School, produced by Mary Holder, in the Cathedral Hall, 1943.

A NAPAC production in 1981 was directed by Philip Grout, taking an off-beat look and setting the play in 1920, starring Patrick Mynhardt as Petruchio, Jill Fenson as Katherina, Cathy Cota as Bianca and Robert Whitehead as Lucentio. Others in the large cast include Arthur Hall, Joey Wishnia, Bella Mariani, Leslie Sterry, Clive Rodel, David Crichton, Iain Winter and Garth Anderson. After the run at the Alhambra Theatre in Durban, the production visited Pietrmaritzburg, Kokstad, Newcastle, and other venues in the province. Designs by British designer Hugh Durrant.

Maynardville productions:

See Maynardville and also the Maynardville website at http://www.maynardville.co.za)

1956: a production with Cecilia Sonnenberg as Katherina, Leslie French as Grumio and Dick Leftwich as Petruchio.

1984: Directed by Brian Kennedy, with Dorothy-Ann Gould, Ian Steadman, Shirley Johnston, David Dennis, and others. Decor and costumes Penny Simpson.

1996: Produced by CAPAB Drama (12 January until 17 February). Directed by Janice Honeyman with Dorothy-Ann Gould, Sean Taylor, Wayne Harrison, Karin van der Laag, Jay Heale, Nicholas Dallas, Mark Hoeben, Keith Grenville, Neels Coetzee, Paul Griffiths, Marguerite Albrecht, Amanda Lane, Jonathan Pienaar, David Crichton, Jeroen Kranenburg, André Roothman, Paul Warwick Griffin, Phillip Boucher, Jay Heale, Nicola Hanekom, Lindsey Redman, Michele Matthysen, Russell Boast and Janis Merand. Design was done by Peter Cazalet. Lighting by Malcolm Hurrell. Music by Stefan Lombard. Assistant to the director: Mark Hoeben.

2011: Directed by Roy Sargeant.

Translations into South African languages

J. van Elders translated the play into Afrikaans as Die Temming van 'n Rissie. (DALRO, 1969).

Translated into Afrikaans as Die Getemde Feeks ("The Tamed Shrew") by ??*. Performed by a CAPAB touring company in 1964. Among the players were Tine Balder, Pieter Bredenkamp, Cynthia Dekker and Limpie Basson.

Translated into Afrikaans as Die Vasvat van 'n Feeks ("The by Nerina Ferreira. An enormously successful and star-studded production of this translation was done in the State Theatre, Pretoria by PACT in 198*, under the direction of Francois Swart, with among others, Sandra Prinsloo, Marius Weyers, Tobie Cronje, Pierre Knoesen, .

1983: Die Vasvat van 'n Feeks, the Ferreira Afrikaans translation, was staged by PACT, directed by William Egan, with Marius Weyers (Christopher Sly), Alida Theron (Waardin), Gerrit Schoonhoven ('n Adellike Heer), Tobie Cronje ('n Lyfkneg), Kobus Kleynhans (1e Jagter),

Adaptations

Among the adaptations performed in South Africa are:

Catharine and Petruchio (Garrick)

This is a reworking of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew by British playwright and actor David Garrick. Garrick cut the subplot entirely and condensed Shakespeare's play into three acts, changing Katherine's name to Catharine. It was written in 1756 and was first staged at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. It was performed far more often than the original Shakespeare play through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Apparently sometimes also written Catherine and Petruchio and Katharine and Petruchio in some versions.

Performance history in South Africa

1809: An (all-male) production of the Garrick version of (under the title of Katharine and Petruchio) by the officers of the British garrison at the Cape of Good Hope in the African Theatre in February of 1809. This marked the first production of a full-length Shakespeare play in South Africa, although the first part of Henry IV had been performed there already in 1801 for the opening of the new venue. Also done was The Mock Doctor (Molière/Fielding)

1824: Performed in English as by the Garrison Players in the African Theatre on the 23rd July, with as afterpieces The Irish Tutor (Glengall) and How to Die for Love! (Von Kotzebue).

1826: Performed in Cape Town by the English Theatricals company (former Garrison Players) in the The African Theatre on the 4th November 1826, with A Roland for an Oliver (Morton) Silvester Daggerwood (Colman Jr.). This was a benefit performance for Mrs O'Brien and Sgt Corbishley.

Kiss Me, Kate (Cole Porter)

The most famous musical adaptation is Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate (1948). Porter wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Samuel and Bella Spewack. The musical opened on Broadway at the New Century Theatre, where it ran for nineteen months before transferring to the Shubert Theatre and running for a total of 1,077 performances. Directed by John C. Wilson with choreography by Hanya Holm, it starred Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison.

The Taming of the Shrew - ballet version (John Cranko)

An adaptation as a ballet by South African born choreographer John Cranko (1969), which played at Staatstheater Stuttgart. Performed by the Stuttgart Ballet, with music by the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, it was directed by Bernard Kontarsky, and starred Richard Cragun and Marcia Haydee.

The Shrew (Charles Marowitz)

An 1975 adaptation of the Shakespeare text by Charles Marowitz, performed at The Studio in the Sydney Opera House. Refashioned as a gothic tale, the adaptation removed all the comedy, and instead concentrated on examining the themes of sadism and brain washing, with a misogynistic Petruchio raping and beating Katherina and driving her mad. The play divided critics, though many celebrated it as a genuinely original and relevant treatment of a difficult Shakespeare text.

Performance history in South Africa

A C.A.T. production titled The Shrew was presented in the Concert Hall, Baxter Theatre in 1980, directed by Dawn Lindberg feauturing Michael McGovern, Molly Seftel, Des Lindberg, Roland Stafford, Michael O'Brien, Dawn Lindberg.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Taming_of_the_Shrew

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharine_and_Petruchio

Trek, 8(1):16, 1943.

Die Burger 25 July, 1964.

http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_the_taming_of_the_shrew_84.php

NAPAC News April 1981.

Brian Barrow and Yvonne Williams-Short (eds.). 1988. Theatre Alive! The Baxter Story 1977-1987.

The Maynardville programme booklet of 1996.

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