Latest news with #TheTamingoftheShrew
Otago Daily Times
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Review: Globe takes energetic approach to ‘Shrew'
The Star reporter Brenda Harwood The Globe Theatre's bonkers take on one of Shakespeare's more difficult plays keeps the energy high and brings the comedy to the fore, making its production ofan amusing romp. To counteract the play's inherent misogyny, director Thomas Makinson and his enthusiastic cast have given the play a gender-swapping twist and they play it to the hilt. In the central roles of the spicy Kate and her domineering (eventual) spouse Petruchia, Lizzie Thomson and Belle Mullan are both strong and bring some nice touches of humanity to the fore. Fellow principal cast members Jakob Ree (Bianco), April McMillan Perkins (Lucentia), Evie Virens (Gremia), Crispin Garden-Webster (Baptista), Daniel Cromar (Grumio), Louisa Stabnow (Trania), Harry Almey (Biondello), Nic Turner (Vincentio), with Makinson himself filling in with book in hand as Hortensio, make the most of the ridiculous plot, its hidden identities and general silliness. Ensemble members Kate Will-Tofia and Sam Ogden are sterling in support. Stage business is managed briskly and everyone is secure in their lines — apart from the usual young Kiwi actors' tendency to speak a little too quickly. The simple, flexible set, designed by Sofie Welvaert, helps to keep the busy action moving, with sound design by Louisa Stabenow and original music composition by Evelyn Virens and Charlotte Goodyear. From its unusual and tricky opening to a full-on dance party at the end, the Globe's version of The Taming of the Shrew is a feast of experimentation with just how flexible the bard's words can be. The play continues until Saturday. THE GLOBE THEATRE PRESENTS Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew Sunday, July 13 Review by BRENDA HARWOOD
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Retelling recontextualises a classic
The Taming of the Shrew Globe Theatre Tuesday, July 8 For decades now, any production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew has been an object of suspicion. This is largely because its psychological and physical violence, which an Elizabethan audience would have found highly entertaining, has come to be seen as offensive. In the current climate, presenting a play that seems to celebrate — or even encourage male chauvinism as a useful romantic strategy — verges on dangerous. Director Thomas Makinson has found two ways around this. First, he makes several characters gender-fluid. Petruchio becomes Petruchia, Bianca becomes Bianco and so on. Although Petruchia's controlling, manipulative attitudes still grate, the domestic violence aspect is considerably watered down. Secondly, the action is heightened to emphasise the comic aspects. Physical violence is portrayed in a way clearly intended to be funny rather than realistic, with little attempt to make actual contact. While a commedia dell'arte approach seems suitable for the play, it does not always quite come off and at times, can look more like over-acting. Pace could occasionally be quickened slightly to maximise impact. Capable performances are crowned by some standout ones. I was especially impressed by Lizzie Thomson (Kate), Belle Mullan (Petruchia), April McMillan Perkins (Lucentia) and Daniel Cromar (Grumio). Makinson's direction ensures that none of Shakespeare's bawdy possibilities are overlooked or under-exploited. Costumes and set have something of a budget look. The characters wear outfits reminiscent of the late 20th century and the minimal set seems have been influenced by Tetris, a video game popular at that time. The choices are not inappropriate, but the reasons for them are not obvious. While I did not find Tuesday's special preview entirely flawless, it is a competent and inventive production. I suspect that audience members will not always agree among themselves and, as ever, that is how it should be. Review by Barbara Frame
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
NYT Connections Hints July 5: Clues, categories, and answers to decode puzzle #755
Enthusiasts of The New York Times daily brain teaser, Connections , were greeted with a fresh set of intellectual challenges this Saturday, July 5, 2025. Puzzle #755 offered a blend of thematic ingenuity and lexical trickery that had players across the globe pondering over word clusters with renewed determination. As always, participants had to identify four groups of four words that share a common link. With only four chances to make errors, the game requires not only vocabulary skills but also a refined sense of pattern recognition. If today's grid has left you perplexed, read on for carefully crafted Connections hints on July 5, category breakdowns, and the final answers. Also Read | Wordle Answer Today: Hints, tips, and meaning to solve July 5's easy puzzle #1477 How the NYT Connections Game Works Launched in June 2023, Connections has quickly gained a loyal following. The gameplay is straightforward yet mentally stimulating: sort 16 words into four distinct groups of four based on hidden thematic ties. The challenge intensifies as the associations are often nuanced, relying on double meanings, idioms, or cultural references. Live Events With only four chances before the puzzle locks players out, Connections rewards both linguistic logic and creative intuition. Hints to Crack the Puzzle – Connections Hints July 5 To assist solvers who want a nudge without directly spoiling the answer, here are subtle pointers for each category featured in today's Connections puzzle, as mentioned in a report by Today: Yellow Group Hint: Think Danny Ocean — the mastermind of the Ocean's Eleven heists. Green Group Hint: Channel your inner Christina Tosi — the famed pastry chef known for mixing ingredients to perfection. Blue Group Hint: Recall Lucentio in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew — driven by yearning and desire. Purple Group Hint: Consider what you jot down in Apple Notes — practical or aspirational lists. These clues serve to orient players without directly solving the grid, preserving the integrity and enjoyment of the challenge. A Word From Each Category To further orient solvers without delivering the full solution upfront, here's one word from each of today's categories: Yellow: Scheme Green: Fold Blue: Burn Purple: Laundry Each offers a pathway into its broader theme — whether tied to mischief, culinary action, longing, or organization. Connections Categories Today, July 5 Today's grid has been dissected into the following four thematic categories: Con Game – Words linked by their association with deceit or schemes. Combine, as Baking Ingredients – Common baking verbs that involve mixing. Yearn – Synonyms expressing deep desire or longing. Kinds of Lists – Everyday categories or types of lists people make. The challenge for many lay in distinguishing between lists and verbs , as some words were deceptively ambiguous. Full Answers for Puzzle #755 For those ready to reveal the entire solution set, here is the breakdown of each successful grouping, as per a report by Today: Con Game (Yellow Group): Hustle, Racket, Scheme, Sting These words evoke deceptive or fraudulent activity, often for personal or financial gain. Combine, as Baking Ingredients (Green Group): Beat, Blend, Fold, Stir Familiar actions in any kitchen, especially among bakers, where precision in combining is key. Yearn (Blue Group): Burn, Itch, Long, Pine All evoke intense desire or emotional longing — often unfulfilled and persistent. Kinds of Lists (Purple Group): Bucket, Laundry, Short, To-Do These are various types of lists — whether goal-oriented, chore-based, or organizational. Strategic Takeaways Saturday's puzzle offered a balanced test of logic and lateral thinking. The Con Game category proved tricky for some players, with words like Hustle and Scheme also resembling productivity terms. Similarly, Fold and Burn could have been misleading without a firm grasp on contextual clues. For solvers looking to refine their strategy, it's helpful to: Start with the most obvious groupings (like baking verbs or list types). Eliminate combinations that share only superficial similarities. Use logic trees to test multiple hypotheses before locking in answers. FAQs What is the NYT Connections game? NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle by The New York Times that challenges players to group 16 words into four sets of four, each sharing a common theme. You're allowed up to four mistakes before the game ends. Was this puzzle considered easy or difficult? The July 5 puzzle offered a balanced challenge. While some categories like "Baking Verbs" were relatively easy, others like "Con Game" or "Yearn" were trickier due to double meanings.
Otago Daily Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Reframing of the Taming
Taking on a Shakespeare play full of difficult people and with a problematic central relationship, presented some challenges for The Taming of the Shrew director Thomas Makinson. So, to solve the issue, the production is gender-fluid, drenched in neon and 1990s energy, leaning into the play's farcical moments to keep things light and enjoyable for modern audiences. Directed by Makinson, this reimagining draws inspiration from the movie 10 Things I Hate About You and the Commedia dell'arte theatre tradition to create an absurdist, high-energy romp through one of the Bard's most controversial "problem plays". "Fortunately, Shakespeare is endlessly adaptable and, although we have cut it somewhat and made it a gender-fluid production, the fun shines through," Makinson said. With a vibrant 1990s aesthetic, meta-theatrical twists, and the same-sex casting of Kate (Lizzie Thomson) and Petruchia (Belle Mullan), the production embraced the play's chaotic spirit while interrogating its gender politics with wit and playfulness, he said. "Apart from the rivalry between Kate and Petruchia, the other side of the play is silly and fun, and we have really amped that up. "It is a play full of difficult characters, so we are playing it all for comedy. "It's messy. It's playful. It's Shakespeare turned up to eleven — and then flipped inside out." Alongside Thomson and Mullan, The Taming of the Shrew features fellow local actors Jake Ree (Bianco), Crispin Garden-Webster (Baptista), Evie Virens (Gremia), April McMillan Perkins (Lucentia), plus Daniel Cromar, Louisa Stabenow, Harry Almey, and an ensemble. Working alongside Makinson is a local crew of creatives, including production manager Laura Wells, lighting designer Jordan Wichman, sound designer Louisa Stabenow, original music by Evelyn Virens, set by Sofie Welvaert, costumes by Lizzie Thomson, and intimacy co-ordination by Chelsea McRae. Friends of the Globe Theatre chairman Brent Caldwell said "in a time when traditional gender roles are under scrutiny and identity is increasingly fluid, this production offers a wild joyride through power, gender and performance". "Be ready for layered disguises, quick role swaps, direct audience address — and above all, a wildly entertaining night at the theatre," Caldwell said. • The Globe Theatre's reimagining of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew will be staged from July 10 to 19, at 7.30pm, with a Sunday matinee on July 13, at 2pm. Tickets available via humanitix
Belfast Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
‘I was raised in a single-parent family – so I've always had an awareness of the value of money'
Actor Ayoola Smart was raised in the west Cork town of Schull from the age of three by her drama teacher mother Sally. She then studied drama in England, and was thrust into the spotlight when she was cast in 2016 in an acclaimed all-Irish production of The Taming of the Shrew at the Globe Theatre in London. Since then, the Cork native has clinched a slew of high-profile roles. While filming the RTÉ drama Smother in Co Clare, she learned she'd landed a role in the cult hit film Cocaine Bear. Her first film role was the big-screen adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel Juliet, Naked.
