Shrew: The Experiment - London R&D Sharing
A first-of-its-kind theatrical experiment where you the audience decide who plays who in Shakespeare's famous battle of the sexes.
Date and time
Location
CabLab Studios
1 Warwick Road London SW5 9EG United KingdomAbout this event
- 1 hour
"If you strike me you are no gentleman, and if no gentleman why then no arms"
This first-of-its-kind theatrical experiment places Shakespeare's iconic battle-of-the-sexes firmly in the 21st century, where nonconformity is still answered with violence, engaging audience complicity to ask questions about gender, class & power.
Described as "riveting" and "post-binary" in its earliest iteration at Bard Bits festival, Shrew: The Experiment returns for 2 weeks' research & development and a one-night-only public performance in March 2025.
With world-class fight choreography performed by theatrical titans, thisTaming of the Shrew is a high-octane comedy that punches in the gut. Using innovative technology to place the power in the hands of the audience, Shrew: The Experiment shares the firebrand leading roles of Katherine and Petruchio between one male & one female actor, with you the audience deciding who plays who when.
This project is supported by Arts Council England, and is part of the development of a full-length production, coming soon to a city near you.
Frequently asked questions
This project is part of the Research & Development for Shrew: The Experiment, supported by Arts Council England. Tickets for this work-in-progress sharing are free but strictly limited, so we recommend booking well in advance. Please notify us if you are no longer able to attend so someone else can.
CabLab Studios is on the first floor of the building, with a lift for wheelchair users. This project encourages audience-participation and vocalisation, and will be performed under natural light in the manner of Relaxed Performances. There will be a quiet room available for those who need it.
This project uses text from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and will contain staged violence and/or intimacy, as well as themes of sexism, classism & ableism. Children and families are welcome but please be aware of the above when making a decision on whether to bring your children.
Due to the nature of the role-share & audience-controlled switching between characters, every performance is different and the interplay between characters will be different on this sharing than in rehearsal. However, there will definitely be elements of staged violence.