The Taming of the Shrew

Summary

1952 BBC live studio production of William Shakespeare’s comedy The Taming of the Shrew.

Theatre play

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare [more information]

Play synopsis

Comedy. The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments - the ‘taming’ - until she becomes a compliant and obedient bride. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina’s more desirable sister, Bianca (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Taming_of_the_Shrew).

Production history

Written between 1590 and 1592. A version was prepared by David Garrick in 1714.

Date of transmission

Sunday 20 April 1952

Time

8.30-10.00pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Desmond Davis

Playwright

William Shakespeare

Adapted for Television by

Barbara Nixon

Musical Supervisor

John Huntley

Sets / Settings

Barry Learoyd

Cast

Stanley Baker	Petruchio
Dennis Bowen	Hortensio
Gaylord Cavallaro
Noel Davis
Anthony Errock
Peter Fawcett	Biondello
Richard Goolden	A Pedant of Mantua
Roy Grant
Charles Heslop	Gremio
Ernest Jay	Baptista
Margaret Johnston	Katharina
Diarmuid Kelly	A Tailor
Christine Lindsay	A Widow
Barry Lowe
Charles Mander	Curtis
Eric Messiter	Vincentio
Hugh Munro
David Oxley	Lucentio
Sheila Shand-Gibbs	Bianca
Michael Sherren
Harold Siddons	Tranio
Toke Townley	Grumio
John [H.] Watson
Jennifer Wilson

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 7.30pm on Thursday 24 April 1952.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

comedy; Italy, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 18 April 1952 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 42; article by Lionel Hale, ‘The Katharina-Petruchio Duel’, p. 41