A new show premiering next month mixes Shakespeare with the experiences of women from Great Yarmouth.
TAMED or It’s Hard To Get A Real Horse is a new theatre show that takes a playful look at how we are tamed by the structures and systems that surround us.
In the play, an all-female cast gather to rehearse for a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Taking turns to interpret the character of Kate – the ‘shrewish’ woman who refuses to conform to what is expected of her – they re-enact scenes and versions of events; exploring the tamed and the untamed, the conformer and the rebel, the collective and the individual – and how hard it is to find a real horse.
Written and directed by Sarah Calver, artistic director of theatre company Flight of the Escales, this new piece has been made in collaboration with women in Great Yarmouth.
Following workshops over the last six months, Sarah has incorporated local people’s experiences of motherhood, marriage, working life and ageing.
A community chorus will be part of the ensemble cast, which includes Ola Stojak, Denise Stephenson, Isabella Leung and Anna Martine Freeman.
Sarah said: “I have been working with inspirational women in Great Yarmouth, and they all have stories to tell about the expectations placed on them by society. It’s a pleasure to takes these stories and weave them into quality, place-responsive theatre.
“Our costumes are made by local community groups; people have even donated old wedding dresses that have been stitched together to create an epic wedding costume! We have an intergenerational cast and a community chorus, and the work has been made in the wonderful St George’s Theatre.
“This is an ambitious show that is deeply rooted in Norfolk.”
St George’s Theatre director Debbie Thompson said: “We are very excited about the production, it is fantastic to have St. George’s Theatre celebrated by creating a show that uses its uniqueness and beauty as a venue. It is a joy to work with a company of this calibre and tremendous that the community are having such have an important input, with this amazing opportunity.”
The show is being presented in partnership with St George’s Theatre and Norwich Theatre, with funding from Arts Council England, The Geoffrey Watling Foundation, Norfolk Art Fund and the People’s Postcode Lottery.
- TAMED or It’s Hard To Get A Real Horse runs from Wednesday, July 10 to Saturday, July 13 2024 at St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth. Tickets from £15.
