Kevin, who is London Open Mic’s interviewer and one of the city’s young poets-extraordinaire, is one of the two lead actors in this comedy by Shakespeare. The twist in this version is the reversal of gender roles, so that the men are all played by women actors and the women by men. Kevin plays Katherine, the older sister who is being married off to a very domineering young man, played by a female actor, Ashley Fage, who does it with gusto.
Well, Kevin is certainly cut out for Shakespeare, as he has been soaking up the bard for years, not just the stories in the plays, but their poetry as well, the proper rhythm. He knows how it should be read, and it showed in his performance, which seemed to me to be the most natural-sounding of all the actors, even though he was playing a woman.
The climax of the play was Kevin’s soliloquy, delivered so naturally, as if he (she) were just standing there thinking out loud, that all the people in the audience suddenly stopped their internal chatter and heard what he was saying. The guy sitting behind me stopped jiggling his leg and checking his cell phone, and the lovers in the back row no longer whispered to each other. Total silence. Kevin held the room spellbound. It was something to behold.
I expect we’ll see him in Stratford soon.
April 26 to May 6, 2017
McManus Stage
Director: Liam Grunté
Stage Manager Julia McCarthy
Producers Liam Grunté and Carlyn Rhamey
Starring Kevin Heslop and Ashley Fage
Also featuring Neva Gunther, Tristan Watts, Irene Paibulsirijit, Andrea Avila, Mya Matos, Gareth Ross, Holly Holden, Lyndsey Burns, Olivia Little and Kendall Robertson
“The Taming of the Shrew” is renowned as Shakespeare's most controversial play. It is a tale of mistaken identity, deception and complicated love triangles. The plot thickens as suitors of the fair Bianca convince a visiting stranger to marry her older sister Katherina in order to allow Bianca to be eligible to be wed. However, Katherina is not a willing participant in their plans.
Reversing the roles in this production brings a fresh perspective to an old yarn, allowing the audience to experience the story from alternative points of view.
FP Theatre is proud to announce that a portion of the proceeds from this production are being donated in support of the London Abused Women's Centre #ShinetheLight on Women's Abuse campaign.