The Taming of the Shrew

Waikato Times Review
What: The Taming of the Shrew
When: Monday 23 - Thursday 26 at 7pm, Sunday March 1, 4am
Entry: free
Reviewed by: Matt Richens
The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare's easiest plays to follow, especially the use of language.
And, as always, the Slip of the Tongue theatre company's production this week at the Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival has been outstanding.
It's an easy to follow play. A classic. Yet Hamilton people leave early? About one in five people left at the intermission break last night.
Disgraceful. Get some culture, people. Okay, you had some culture, get some more.
Possibly it had something to do with issues hearing the dialogue. It must have, the acting was first class.
The joys that come from an outdoor performance on the shores of Turtle Lake, come with major sound troubles. It would have been worth getting to the gardens well before the 7pm kick-off so you could hear the players better than you do at the back.
By the time you include the canvas chair orchestra and the duck-quack symphony, it does make it difficult to catch every word.
Then there was another of Hamilton's favourite sounds, the Cobham Drive bogans joining in too.
That said, quietly, the show was wonderful.
The play within a play was made easy to understand but was still full of big Will's classic use of language and comedy.
Leanne Ireland's portrayl of Katherina, the sharp-tongued shrew, was impressive as were the cameos of Carl Watkins' Grumio and Alex Tarrant-Keppa's Bartholomew.
The entire production was very good and, apart from a few quiet voices, no one let the side down.