Director's Notes

Travelling funfairs are places that can be bright, light, colourful and fantastic. Often, however, this disguises a less beautiful reality. The members of travelling communities are mostly very poor, and often discriminated against by the rest of society. On a recent visit to Rome, I was struck by the extent of the prejudices about 'gypsies'. There, they are associated with unsavoury lifestyles and petty crime. The difference between outward impressions and internal reality is a recurring theme in The Taming of the Shrew. It is particularly relevant to Petruchio and Katherina's relationship.

There are other trends amongst travelling communities that make them ideal for a contextual understanding of The Taming of the Shrew. These communities, on the whole, hold very traditional beliefs. Marriage is very highly valued, and people, especially girls, tend to marry young. Further, they are patriarchal societies, in which men and women have different, gender-specific roles. In particular, I felt that discrimination by those outside the travelling community might cause those inside it to defend these values even more strongly.

The 1950s were, across Europe, an interesting time for women. This period, to me, is at the peak of an ongoing movement for sexual and other equalities between men and women. It was a time for women, with the Second World War behind them, to push for their own rights and liberties. However, no such change happens quickly, and there was considerable resistance to these ideas. I want to capture these doubts and questions in our production of The Taming of the Shrew.

In particular, Italy in the 1950s was a politically difficult place. Mussolini had just tumbled from power, and this left many unsure of the dominant political thinking. Many minority groups were persecuted under Mussolini, and many Italians remained sympathetic to his views. His downfall left many Italians, and particularly those from minority groups, confused and conflicted. This sentiment would remain for quite some time.

Emma Makinson
Director, The Taming of the Shrew 2010-2011