Taming of the Shrew
by Two Gents Productionstheatre, comedy
A raucous, South African, gender-bending exploration of Shakespeare's War of the Sexes performed by only two actors.
about the production
Celebrate Shakespeare 400 and Black History Month with a show that transforms your theatre into a raucous Johannesburg shebeen: 2 actors eagerly await the arrival of their company for a high-profile performance for a would-be lord. No props, costumes, or other actors in sight leaves them no choice but to perform the whole play empty-handed. She wants to play the macho man (Petruchio) so he has to play the shrewish wife (Katherine). What follows is a fearless, irreverent, gender-bending romp as much improvised mayhem as it is Shakespeare - featuring a hearty and generously playful encounter with the audience.
about the artist
Two Gents Productions has a significant track record in creating bare-boned, cross-cultural and powerfully expressive adaptations of Shakespeare for small casts. This success has taken us across the Globe (Australia, Germany, Zimbabwe) and led to our fêted participation in the Globe to Globe Festival at Shakespeare's Globe, London in 2012. We believe our approach to Shakespeare is particularly relevant to young, emerging, non-mainstream theatre makers keen to reach a broader audience. Our aim with this project is to share our skill and expertise with a new generation of theatre makers across the UK.
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stage dimensions
width: 3 metres
height: 2 metres
depth: 3 metres
This show is versatile and easy to set-up. All we need is a general wash that lights both the stage and the auditorium - we don't travel with our own lights, but even switching on the hall lights will do for this show. It is particularly suited to thrust or in the round configuration - the closer we can get to our audience the better.
This show has broad audience appeal. It's a light-hearted introduction to Shakespeare (it uses bold physicality, improvisation and ad-lib audience interaction to break down any residual 'fear of Shakespeare') and is particularly suited to students studying Shakespeare at school or university. The fact that it is an all black cast and is set in a distinctly South African context will also make it appeal to Black, African and migrant communities. Finally, the production explores Shakespeare's war of the sexes theme in great detail and we have found that it appeals especially to couples of all ages, married or otherwise.
Subtle, stylish and subversive
Here is a performance that will not let you sit idly by. There is no safety in the stalls: Shakespeare has been unleashed!
uproariously entertaining (about Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Globe)
We aim to make this production accessible to as a broad a range of audiences as possible. We have worked with audio description and simultaneous sign language translation before and will be more than happy to work with you to incorporate this into specific performances at your venue.
We would be particularly interested in creating tailor made outreach activities that respond to the needs of your venue. We can offer workshops and post show QnA sessions related to our distinct approach to Shakespeare on the day of performance. Alternatively you can invite us for a weeklong residency and we will work with local theatre makers and drama students on creating Shakespeare-related curtain raisers for our show alongside delivering workshops in schools and community centres in your area - please see our show, "Shakespeare Boot Camp", for further details.
£700 for a single night performance (includes travel, accommodation, posters and flyers). 10% discount on 2 and 20% on 4 consecutive shows. Post-show QnAs are free; a single 2 to 3 hours workshop on the day of performance is £180. A week-long residency is £2500 (all inclusive).
