The Taming of the Shrew at The National Theatre

It is high time that Katherina, a young woman from a good family, got married. Yet no one wants her, since she is disorderly, bad-tempered, quarrelsome, unmanageable, simply difficult. Her younger sister Bianca, on the other hand, who behaves exactly as a maiden should, is much sought after by wooers. Bianca, however, cannot marry before Katherina is wed. Finally, Petruchio succeeds in taming the impetuous girl, making a cooing dove out of what was one a fierce she-devil. The most successful of Shakespeare comedies affords an excellent opportunity for dramatic portrayal, especially of the unconventional central pair of characters.