24 | August 22, 2013 | cambridge-news.co.uk | Cambridge News

HE Taming of the Shrewis a bubble of lightnessbetween a harrowing (yet

wonderful) production of King Learand a suitably bloody Henry VI:Parts I – III, part of the Cambridge

Arts Theatre’s Shakespeareansummer programme.

“It is a comedy, supposedly,”says actress Olivia Morganwryly, a slight burr to hervoice.

Playing Bianca, the desirablesister of the shrewish Katherina(doubling as Biondello), Olivia

grew up in the North WestHighlands near the Isle of Skye in“a very beautiful village whereHamish Macbeth was filmed

with Robert Carlisle,” and gotstuck into theatre thanks to thecommunity’s strong belief indrama – there was, of course,

always a panto.With prolific viewing

habits (“I’d watch adetective show and wantto be the detective.Then I realised it wasthe acting that I reallywanted to do ratherthan any of the otheroccupations”), shejoined the National Youth

Theatre at 16, went onto study drama and English at

university and then found herself atRADA. “I loved it, it was three years ofthe best teaching, alongside studentsthat were ridiculously talented. You wereconstantly learning all the time,” she

A hop, skip and a tonne of talent later,she’s on tour with The Globe and inan all-female production of the Bard’scontroversial screwball, directed by newkid on the Shakespearean block, Joe

Shot through with misogyny, TheTaming of the Shrew tells the tale of thebeautiful, well-behaved Bianca who isnot allowed to marry until her sister, theargumentative Katherina has wed. Thenalong comes Petruchio who thinks hemight just be able to tame her.

“(It’s about) the whole notion of what agood woman should be: a good womanshould be obedient, a good womanshould not speak out of turn,” reelsOlivia, before jumping: “I don’t agree

with that, just to be clear!”

Olivia first encountered Shakespeareat school, giggling hysterically at thelover’s scene in A Midsummer Night’sDream. “I can’t remember much aboutit, but I remember laughing a lot,” andwas floored when she visited The GlobeTheatre for real: “As soon as I went thereI was completely in love with it.”

An all-female Shrew – when thereare often too few meaty acting rolesfor women – is definitely a first for herthough, and much of the cast, althoughshe admits: “The girls playing men doit so well that within two seconds youforget!”

It is an interesting dynamic, shemuses. “The Shrews I’ve seen, wherea man is playing Petrucio, can be quitehard to watch because it immediatelybecomes quite brutal and violent.

When you’ve got two women doing itit’s quite an interesting way of having awoman playing a man, not necessarilycommenting on the journey, the violence,but I think it’s easier as a way in for theaudience.”

Playing the beautiful, coveted Bianca,caught up in a web of competition,particularly questions how women areperceived by society. “From Bianca’spoint of view, she doesn’t say much buteveryone’s opinion of her is spokenabout,” says Olivia. “She’s this, she’sthat, in the same way [people discuss]celebrities. A whole lot of Press will saywhat this celebrity’s like, but actually, it’scomplete nonsense.”

Is it still relevant to today’s audience?“We had an audience in Oxfordwhere a woman was filming the showand you’re not allowed to film theshow while we’re doing it obviously.

“One of the cast members wentup to her and said, can you stopfilming us please, and she put hercamera away immediately, and thenat the end of the show she cameover and said I’m so sorry, it’s justI’m from Afghanistan and I wantedto film this to bring it back to myfemale friends and show themthat women can be on stage andwomen can play men.

“I think that in our world thereare a lot of cultures where womenare still supposed to just beobedient and hide; so it makes itvery relevant to today.”

And yet, despite the heavysubtext and controversial ending,Shrew is meant to be funny,skittish and ultimately entertaining.Murphy has been quoteddescribing his version of the showas “quite sassy”. Olivia breaks intopeals of choking laughter at thisbefore collecting herself. “Yeah, Ithink it is quite sassy,” she said. “Imean, it’s eight women bringingit! It’s quite sassy, quite sexy, quitenaughty, playful; I think it findsthe fine line between taking itselfseriously and a nudge and wink to theaudience.”

“(Joe’s) brought a modern spin. He’s agood chap,” she adds. “And he’s pickedseven other women that I get to workwith who are an absolute delight to bearound.”

It helps to have a solid cast around youat the best of times, but it adds another

Stage

As an all-female production of Shakespeare’s battle ofthe sexes arrives in Corpus Christie College gardens,

ELLA WALKER talks to one of the cast, OliviaMorgan, about a woman’s place in the world –and why a whole lot of sassiness is involved

Hisb

wonderfuand a suitParts I – I

Arts Thsumme

“It issays awrylyvoice

Plasister o(doub

Highland“a very bHamish

with Rstuckcomdram

alw

j

RADA. “I lovethe best teachithat were ridicuconstantly learnsaid.

A hop, skip ashe’s on tour wan all-female pcontroversial sckid on the ShakMurphy.

Shot throughTaming of the Shbeautiful, well-bnot allowed to margumentative Kalong comes Petmight just be ab

“(It’s about) thgood woman shshould be obedshould not speaOlivia, before ju

with that, just

As an all-femthe sexes ar

ELLA WMorgand

“I think it isquite sassy.I mean, it’seight womenbringing it!”

ng itving aarily

violence,or the

ianca,n,n area’s

ch butene’s

cuss]ill sayally, it’s

ence?

e

t

d

o

e

o the

He’s apickedworkto be

und youother

The Taming of

Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | August 22, 2013 | 25

FYI Olivia Morgan on not being able to pick a dream role: “Two of my ambitions have actually been fulfilledthis year which was to do an all-female Shakespeare and an all-Scottish Macbeth, so I feel quite satisfied.”

� Petruchio is arguably the villain of the piece,but also the source of some of the play’s mostmemorable moments (not to mention humour).How did you balance the different sides of hischaracter?It was important for me not to think of him as avillain. He isn’t Machiavellian, he doesn’t set outto destroy Kate. His actions – which are crueland deplorable, yes – are borne of a desire to‘have’ her. His is a very volatile and unpredictablehumour and I think he spends a lot of the play ona fault line. You laugh at him but sometimes I thinkI’ts a slightly nervous laughter, any time he couldlose it.

� What was it like to be the male lead in anall-female production?In our rehearsal process we really focused oncharacter rather than gender. I can’t shout louderthan Kate or physically dominate her, we don’tpastiche masculinity and have socks stuffed downour trousers, so my job really was to explore thedifferences between them that are behavioural,psychological and societal rather than whatnaturally derives from anatomy! I did work on myphysicality – my ‘man bounce’ – and my spacialrelationships, but it was important to me not to putanything on, almost not to make a big deal of thefact I’m playing a man.

� With the above in mind, has the way youpossess and present Petruchio changed fromrehearsal to performance?Petruchio goes through massive shifts in the playand you see so many different sides to him. Somy time has been spent piecing him together,and crucially, how he changes in relation to Kate.I played around with what is planned and whatis reactive, to what extent he knows what he isdoing and to what extent he questions and doubtshimself. He has quite a few ‘gong’ momentsin the play for me that point to a turmoil and arecognition that he’s a bit messed up, so I guessthat’s where I’ve been digging around.

� Though the play remains popular for itshumour, it’s ending remains controversial.Without giving away too much how wouldyou say this production deals with thedenouement?The ending to this play is a problem, I really thinkthat, and all productions have to navigate it.We’ve tried not to excuse or answer the text, butfor my money it’s a comedy with a tragic ending.I can’t tell you how we do it but I can tell you it’spowerful!

� How would you say a touring productiondiffers from the theatre proper?With the touring shows you have the samewonderful relationship to the audience butthere’s something extra special about watchingShakespeare outside, especially as the sunstarts to come down, that’s where somethingmagic happens. And there’s an honesty and asimplicity to the storytelling, and because wedon’t tour with a huge set everything we do is tolet the language really sing.

Leah Whitaker:Petruchio

dimension whenyou’re doingShakespeare(“The lines areso musical, sorhythmic, andso metered out,when you’re onstage and you hearsomeone mess aword up, it clangsout!”), especiallywhen you’reperforming nightlyoutside in the

elements.So far they

haven’t been toounlucky. “We’vebeen completelyblessed; hadabsolutely glorioussunshine for thewhole run outsideexcept for theweekend just gone

in the Peak Districtwhere it rained. And

that was interestingbecause it was the first

time dealing with thunderand lightning mid-speech,”

says Olivia happily. “Therewas an amazing vision whenit started bucketing it downand the entire audiencein a kind of flash mobstyle just whipped thesecagoules on, which wasfunny and amazing tosee – I wouldn’t be thatprepared.”Hopefully the sun will

remain for the Cambridgestint, which Olivia isgenuinely looking forwardto, partly because her sisterand brother-in-law recently

moved to the city, and partlybecause: “It’s one of thosebeautiful cities with a lot of

history that I’m fascinatedby. I grew up watching Monty

Python, Footlights Review andthe 9 O’clock news and all that

kind of stuff, so I’m quite excited.”

I can’tshout

louderthan

Kate orphysicallydominate

her, wedon’t

pastichemasculinity

and havesocks

stuffeddown ourtrousers

The Taming of the Shrew, Cambridge ArtsTheatre, Corpus Christie College Gardens,Wednesday, August 21 – Saturday,August 24 at 7.30pm. Tickets £20 from(01223) 503333 / https://cambridgeartstheatre.purchase-tickets-online.co.uk

Lots more summer Shakespearenews, reviews and interviews atcambridge-news.co.uk/whatson

wtha

bectime

and ligsays Olwas anit starteand thein a kinstyle jucagoufunnysee –prepaHope

remainstint, wgenuinto, partand bro

moved tbecause:beautiful

history thaby. I grew u

Python, Foothe 9 O’clock

kind of stuff, soAs are we.

� The Taming of the ShTheatre, Corpus ChristieWednesday, August 21 –August 24 at 7.30pm. T(01223) 503333 / httpspurchase-tickets-online.

Lots more summenews, reviews ancambridge-news.

the ShrewIT COULDBE SHREW:Olivia Morgan,and left, inthe all-femaleproduction ofTaming of theShrew