PUBLISHED September 11th, 2013 01:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 03:20 pm
Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner that I love Shakespeare so. Growing up studying ‘The Bard’ ol’ and frequenting the world famous Globe Theatre a multitude of times in my youth is one of the great joys I miss about living in London…Certainly something that could never be reproduced in Singapore…. or could it? Well I pretty much fell off my chair earlier this year when I heard that this year for the first time in history, the entire acting troop performing in this summer’s all-female cast of the Globe’s ‘Taming of the Shrew’ will be flying over to our sunny isle to perform at Fort Canning. This is truly not a show you want to miss, and here’s why…
1) This isn’t just Shakespeare, it’s the bloody Globe, one of the most famous theatres of all time!
If you’ve ever been to see a show at the Globe in London, just skip ahead, you’ve probably already bought your tickets anyway. If you haven’t however, read on. Yes the Globe is about the setting, but what makes it such a great experience is not the theatre itself. There’s no microphones, there’s not special effects and there’s no cushy seating. The Globe is about rough, boisterous theatre with actors practically mingling with the audience. As an audience member, you magically become apart of it all…the way it was before all this technology. And yes, the costumes for this year’s performance of the Taming of the Shrew will be traditional.
2) The play itself
Synopsis – Two wealthy sisters in Padua must be married off. The modest, demure Bianca has no shortage of suitors, but who on earth will take the wild, ungovernable, ‘shrewish’ Katherina? Perhaps the gold-digging Petruchio, as maddeningly strong willed and perverse as Katherina herself, will be equal to the task of bullying her to the altar.
It’s a fantastic tale – the battle of the sexes, the creation and destruction of gender roles themselves and of course romance, wit and superb comedy. Expect beautifully performed live music, stunning dialogue, and a story that will keep you on the proverbial edge of your seat.
‘My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart concealing it will break.’
3) All Female Cast
Fun fact – in the time of William Shakespeare, women were not allowed on stage as actors. Well how about this for role reversal… This year’s performance is an all female cast. Now considering the strong theme of twisting of gender roles this play offers, it’s perfect. Moreover, I believe it something both male and female members of the audience will be enthralled by.
4) Fort Canning Gate
We are not in London (just in case you missed that), so there is no Globe…however, the gate at Fort Canning is probably the best venue in Singapore to offer a similar kind of experience. Each performance will only have 800 seats available so expect a very intimate surrounding. You might even be treated to some audience participation as well. Wink wink.
This is an absolutely brilliant opportunity for you theatre-lovers and theatre newbies out there to really experience the magic of William Shakespeare in the perfect setting, performed by la creme de la creme of British Shakespearian actors.
The Taming of the Shrew is being performed at Fort Canning Gate on 2 – 13 October 2013. Tickets are available via Sistic here