William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (Het Tamen van de Feeks) returns to the Stadsschouwberg Amsterdam, where it premiered back in May 2005.
The 2012 edition, put on by Toneelgroep Amsterdam and directed by Ivo van Hove, runs from August 22, 2012 to February 2, 2013. During that time, three performances will be subtitled in English.
Businessman Baptista Minola has two beautiful daughters. Now that they have both reached womanhood, it's time to marry them off. Both are beautiful, smart, and talented. Shouldn't be a problem. Except... As mild and delicate and compliant as Bianca is, Katerina isn't. In fact, she's every man's worst nightmare. To make matters worse, Baptista has decreed that Bianca cannot marry until her older sister does. And the search begins to find a suitor fit and witty enough to break Katerina's wild streak. Each prospective husband fails to tame the shrew. Just as all hope seems lost, enter Petruchio, a man determined to succeed where all others have failed. Meanwhile, the eligible bachelors looking to win Bianca as their prize, try every trick in the book to sway her heart.
The Taming of the Shrew was one of Shakespeare's first comedies, written circa 1590.
Halina Reijn and Hans Kesting star as Katharina, respectively with Hélène Devos as Bianca and Hugo Koolschijn as Baptista Minola. Fred Goessens, Alwin Pulinckx, Dennis Rudge, Vanja Rukavina, Bart Slegers, and Eelco Smits round out the rest of the cast.
Director Ivo van Hove says of the play: ‘The Taming of the Shrew is not just a love tragedy, but also a piece with overt social criticism. The city of Padua, where The Taming of the Shrew is situated, is governed by economic principles, without any vision for the future; a city that poses as tolerant, wealthy and intellectual. The strict standards and values that prevail there only serve to safeguard their economic interests. The human urge for anarchy, for a fundamentally different, self-determined life is neatly channelled in this way. Beneath the mask of tolerance and civilization hides a ruthless society in which the end justifies the means. The story of Petruchio and Katharina shows that people should acknowledge and respect themselves and others for their true nature in order to reach a truly harmonious society.’
Mr. van Hove is also set to direct Persona and After the Rehearsal this season.
‘Van Hove's Shrew is harsh, intense and breathtakingly good’ de Volkskrant
‘Hans Kesting and Halina Reijn are brilliant’ Algemeen Dagblad
‘The play is fierce and extreme, but satisfies on every count’ Het Parool
All performances during 2012 begin at 20:00 and all performances in 2013 are set to begin at 20:30. Performances on August 23, September 13, and January 31 will include English surtitles.
For more information, visit http://www.tga.nl.
Photo credit: Toneelgroep Amsterdam
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