Taming Of The Shrew, Bath Theatre Royal, Igor Ustinov Studio, March 12th - March 16th / 20th - 23rd
There is always great comfort when revisiting an old stomping ground (Actually a fairly new one but the aforementioned phrase sounds sexier). Having taken the Bath Festival by a little bit of a storm with Twelfth Night in 2002, The Year of The Goat and War (2003) saw us return with Taming of The Shrew. This really was akin to coming home… the familiarity with the theatre staff, the space, the excitement to perform again. This idyllic return to paradise was firmly shattered when I arrived at Bristol Temple Meads station en route to Bath. As I headed towards the correct platform to get me on my way, I passed the usual casual glance at the numerous billboards adorning the inner station walls. One particular poster caught my eye and took the stuffing out of my knees, stomach and lungs. It advertised the Bath International Shakespeare Festival…and guess whose Image was being used to publicise the event? There in glaring technicolour, for the whole world to see and blown up to beyond life size, were Zane, Adam and Michael in full Taming regalia.
This is serious, I thought. More serious than, well, than serious stuff.
I am glad to say that my shock turned to euphoria, eventually. Taming of The Shrew has been the most controversial of our latest batch of work. Not least of all for its subject matter: The dilemmas of an individual woman fighting for her soul in a pre destined patriarchal hell. Cue the socio-political undertones, overtones and resonance’s of a life called Zimbabwe. What was to prove even more enlightening was that for older members of our audience, the memory of the film version (Liz Taylor and Burton) was well and truly shattered by our completely unsentimental, unromantic and acerbic take on the play. And the small issue of men playing women.
We are Zimbabweans, we are Africans, we have our own take on life and the world. Taming of The Shrew has proved a tough nut to crack. It is not one of The Bards finest literary hours. Its construction is awkward and some of the characters are strangely schizophrenic. It nevertheless has some cracking dialogue and in the role of Katharina (ably essayed by Zane) one finds one of Shakespeare’s most noble creations.
Having wrestled with the play following on from its debut in Harare, with painful birth pains carrying on through the Festival in Neuss and only just subsiding in the pressures of Edinburgh, I can proudly say that the play finally settled into its skin in Bath. With the benefit of video technology (whoopeee) and thorough reworking when the show was not being performed, we were able to see past the misgivings of some critics and even some in our own ranks to unearth the soul of what is a very good show.
It was also a good lesson in self-confidence. As rough as its birth may have been, we certainly had something good. After all, these top-flight festivals do not just pick anybody.
The crowning glory of the piece is three fold. Heeten Bhagats costume design is out of this world. This was the perfect finish to our hyper modern view of suburban Hararian dystopia. This is the only Over The Edge show that can boast more glowing kudos for the Costumier than for the Director (how my teeth gnash). Add to this Carine Tredgold’s sophisticated minimal set and we were in a world unto ourselves. Then there is that all important third ingredient…
When we cleverly crafted the puppet device we knew we had hit on something quite special. But who would build and design them? After several failed prototypes including a bag of Fusili Pasta at one point in stepped the mastery of Auntie Raadha Naidu. This woman is a cultural institution in Zimbabwe. Not only is she known as our answer to Delia Smith on radio and on TV, she is also a veteran children’s entertainer and pupeteering genius. It was her vision, patience and skill in designing and making us wise in the ways of the puppet that created the four characters who really did steal the show.
The reviews speak for themselves. Bath is a beautiful, beautiful (very bloody wealthy) part of England. It boasts a thriving theatrical community and has established itself as a premiere touring stop for any show that is on the road in this part of the world. Madonna (who of course is a famous actress) graced the opulent halls of the Theatre Royal recently with a rare theatrical outing (heaven be praised). What was even more wonderful was that this whole leg of the tour has been bathed in glorious sunshine.
We would like to extend our thanks to Debra, Chris, Andrew and our new family at the Theatre Royal. Thank you for making this trip so memorable and successful. An extra special thank you to Heeten and Carine. We love you guys! Last and by no means least
Auntie Raadha Naidu…you are a genius and we love you. Thank You for sharing and building our dream with us!
