Now in its seventh year, Shakespeare at the Lake, is returning in all its glory.
“Sit by my side and let the world slip by: we shall ne’er be younger,” William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew.
Proudly presented by Little Seed Theatre Company, The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592.
In Padua, Italy, a man by the name of Baptisa has two daughters. The younger daughter, Bianca, is pretty and pliant and has many would-be suitors. According to the custom of the times, Baptista will not allow Bianca to marry until he finds a husband for his eldest daughter, Katherine. Katherine is a witty, intelligent woman who knows what she wants. A husband and marriage is not one of them. As intelligent and witty women with strong opinions often are, Katherine or Kate as she is called is feared by the men in her village and dubbed ‘the shrew’.
A spoiled and wealthy young man by the name of Petruchio sets out to woo Katherine for the sizeable dowry her father offers for her. The two prove a match in wits and the game is on.
Harvey Sallaway plays Petruchio, bravely setting out to balance the macho Petruchio with humour and the unexpected destabilising results of falling in love.
The Taming of the Shrew is Harvey’s fourth foray into the world of William Shakespeare following roles in Little Seed’s Twelfth Night, Much Ado about Nothing and last year’s As You Like It.
Naire McDonald as Katherine is a force and meets every challenge the role demands with skill and humour. Naire has an impressive array of theatre experience ranging from Touchstone in As You Like It to Carmen Diaz in FAME and most recently over Easter, as The White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
The Taming of the Shrew has been adapted numerous times for stage, screen, opera, ballet, and musical theatre; perhaps the most famous adaptations being Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate and the 1967 film of the play, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
The 1999 high-school comedy film 10 Things I Hate About You, and the 2003 romantic comedy Deliver Us from Eva are also loosely based on the play.
Set against the stunning backdrop of Lake MacDonald, The Taming of the Shrew plays in the Noosa Botanical Gardens in the Amphitheatre this May on 13, 14, 20 and 21. Pack a picnic, your favourite tipple, a cush for your tush and while away a glorious afternoon.
Tickets are available now at little-seed.com.au
