"ShakespeaRe-Told" The Taming of the Shrew (2005)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

David Richards

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
Sally Wainwright (screenplay)

TV Series:

"ShakespeaRe-Told" (2005)

Original Air Date:

21 November 2005 (Season 1, Episode 3)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young harridan MP marries a title in order to advance towards her goal of becoming party leader.

Plot Keywords:

Parliament | Shakespeare | Italian Villa | Cross Dresser | William Shakespeare

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Shirley Henderson	...	Kate Minola
David Mitchell	...	Tim Agnew
Simon Chandler	...	John Naps
Jaime Murray	...	Bianca Minola
Federico Zanni	...	Tranio
Santiago Cabrera	...	Lucentio
Stephen Tompkinson	...	Harry
Twiggy	...	Mrs. Minola (as Twiggy Lawson)
Yves Aubert	...	French Waiter
Rufus Sewell	...	Petruchio
Paul McNeilly	...	Scary Yob
Samuel Oatley	...	Journalist
Bruce Mackinnon	...	Vicar
Kate Russell-Smith	...	Elaine
David Weber	...	Barman

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:12 | Australia:M | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

BBC Drama Group

Trivia:

They prepared 3 tables and 3 carpets for the scene in which Katherine flips the table over. Each had glasses made of sugar glass and wax plates. All the meals had to be salad so that the food wouldn't melt the plates. Luckily they did it in one take and were able to move out the restaurant so that it could open for lunch.

Goofs:

Continuity: Having spent all day in her wedding dress carrying out such activities as changing a car tire and walking down dirt roads, by the end of the day Katherine's wedding dress is perfectly clean and pressed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Kate: Fathead!
[she slaps him]
Tim Agnew: You hit me!
Kate: You gave me that information. You made me look like a political pygmy, on Newsnight. Your job, in case you weren't concentrating, is to make sure I know what I'm pigging well talking about!
Tim Agnew: You're out of order, Katherine. I'm sorry, but good grief!
Kate: And you're sacked! No wonder this party has been the opposition for the last ten million light years!
Tim Agnew: You can't sack me and frankly I'd appreciate an apology. Otherwise...
Kate: Otherwise?
Tim Agnew: If we're to mantain a mature grown up working relationship then...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Heroes Unmasked: Isaac (#1.18)" (2007)

Brilliant, just brilliant!!

I can't help thinking that the reaction I had to this tele-play (hilarity, surprise, horror, disgust, warm & fuzzies) was probably identical to how Shakepeare's original play was received in its day. Firstly, the casting was exquisite - Rufus Sewell was a big surprise to me, but perfectly cast as the boisterous and unpredictable Petruchio; Shirley Henderson spent much of the play enraged, but wonderfully (I'm stealing her word, 'Swivel'!!); and Stephen Tompkinson performed to his usually high standard as the sad manager to Katherine's sister, played by Jaime Murray.

What can I say that hasn't already been said? It was flawless, and like the other episodes of 'Shakespeare Retold', this play captured the feeling, the mood, the bawdiness of the original play, and in turn created an emotional response in the viewer which many stodgy and underdeveloped performances of the stage-play may not be able to reach.

And another thing......... I'd never thought much of Rufus Sewell, but in this he's something of a honey!!!