The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare, directed by Karen Vickery. Until March 1 across various locations. Reviewed by ARNE SJOSTEDT.

You couldn’t have asked for a more perfect late summer’s evening to take in a bit of Shakespeare. Tuggeranong Town Park hosted Lakespeare’s players and their audience across a two-hour production, with night falling just as the play began to conclude.

From the first moments, it was obvious that this was going to be a first-rate evening of theatre. The polish of the cast was obvious, the delivery of lines clear – and the actors seemed to be giving each other the space needed to inhabit their characters, without things feeling overindulgent or laboured.

Excellent audio across the outdoor setting supported the performance, as did a sense of fun that spilled through the entire show. Things were colourful, mischievous, playful – and loaded with potential.

The objective of this production was, at least in part, to throw a new lens over a 400-year-old play. Swapping male and female roles – there was trickery within trickery in this production. It left plenty to unpack and provided all kinds of perspective-shifting moments – and opportunity for the girls and guys to have some serious fun.

Ylaria Rogers successfully inhabited the lead role of Petruchia (Shakespeare’s Petruchio), bringing a cheeky, commanding poise. Opposite her was Michael Cooper playing Christopher the shrew, who with equal conviction and purpose left nothing on the table.

Together they anchored the show, grounding it with the clarity essential to interpreting Shakespeare. Many of the supporting cast also delivered standout moments: Giuliana Baggoley shone as Baptista, and Blue Hyslop’s Biondello had a magnetic presence every time he appeared. The list could go on – so perhaps it’s best to turn up to one of the remaining shows and see for yourself.

Things grow chaotic by the end of this performance – and with the added layers of gender subversion and script revision –  things became difficult to follow. Yet within that disorder, the sense of play remains intact. By the time things had wrapped up, there was no shortage of smiles. Not just on the faces of performers, but the audience who had turned up to enjoy what they had to offer.

Kiss me, Kit, the Shrew gets a gender bending

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