Shakespeare’s most "problematic" comedy is a nightmare for modern directors. Honestly, how do you stage a play about a man literally starving and sleep-depriving a woman into submission without making the audience want to walk out? When the Taming of the Shrew Globe Theatre 2024 season was announced, everyone knew Jude Christian was going to take a massive swing. They didn't just swing; they deconstructed the whole thing until it felt less like a rom-com and more like a fever dream in a dollhouse.
It was bold. It was weird. It was polarizing.
If you caught the show at the Bankside last summer, you’ll remember the giant teddy bear. Or the felt costumes. It looked like a primary school play on acid. But beneath the bright colors of the Globe’s wooden O, there was a deeply cynical, sharp-edged exploration of how we perform gender. It wasn't about love. It was about the "taming" of a human spirit through the lens of a ridiculous, patriarchal circus.
What the Taming of the Shrew Globe Theatre 2024 Got Right (and Wrong)
Most people go to the Globe expecting some "hey-nonny-nonny" energy. Not this time. Jude Christian’s vision was a far cry from the 2012 all-female version or the more traditional stagings of the early 2000s. The 2024 production leaned heavily into the "Sly" framework—the induction scene that many directors cut. By keeping the idea that this is a play-within-a-play performed for a drunk, the production immediately told us: "Don't take this romance seriously. It's a sham."
The aesthetic was... loud.
Everything was made of felt or foam. The props looked like toys. Why? Because the characters are treating people like objects. Katherina, played by Thalissa Teixeira, wasn't just a "shrew" in the sense of being loud. She was a woman trapped in a world that refused to see her as a person. Opposite her, Andrew Koji’s Petruchio wasn't a charming rogue. He was a man playing a role, sometimes appearing as bored by the misogyny as he was fueled by it.
The Problem with the Ending
You know the speech. The one where Katherine tells women to lay their hands under their husbands' boots. In the Taming of the Shrew Globe Theatre 2024 version, this moment was agonizing. It wasn't played for laughs, and it wasn't played as a "wink-wink, I've actually won" moment. It was a total hollow-out.
✨ Don't miss: Carrie Bradshaw apt NYC: Why Fans Still Flock to Perry Street
Critics from The Guardian and The Stage were divided. Some felt the "toy-box" aesthetic distanced the audience too much from the actual violence of the text. When Petruchio denies Kate food, it’s hard to feel the visceral hunger when he’s throwing around a giant stuffed felt chicken.
Others argued this was the only way to do it. By making the world look fake, the production highlighted how fake the "natural order" of men over women actually is. It was a meta-commentary on the play itself.
The Cast That Carried the Weight
Thalissa Teixeira is a powerhouse. You’ve seen her in Trigonometry or Too Close, and she brings this incredible, soulful stillness. In a play that is usually defined by shouting matches, her Kate was often quiet. She looked at the world around her with a mix of confusion and growing horror.
Andrew Koji, famous for Warrior and Bullet Train, brought an unexpected physicality to Petruchio. He didn’t play him as a villain in a black cape. He played him as a guy who understood the rules of a shitty game and decided to play it better than anyone else. The chemistry wasn't "sexy"—it was tactical.
The supporting cast had to do a lot of the heavy lifting with the slapstick. The subplots involving Bianca and her various suitors were dialed up to eleven. It felt like a pantomime. This served a purpose: it made the central "taming" plot feel even more isolated and grim by comparison.
Why the Globe’s Architecture Matters for this Play
The Globe is a weird space. It’s open to the elements. The "groundlings" are standing right there, leaning on the stage. In the Taming of the Shrew Globe Theatre 2024 run, the actors frequently broke the fourth wall.
🔗 Read more: Brother May I Have Some Oats Script: Why This Bizarre Pig Meme Refuses to Die
When you’re standing in the yard and an actor looks you in the eye while saying something horrific about domesticating a wife, you can't just sit back in the dark like you would at the National Theatre. You are part of the crowd. You are the mob. The 2024 production exploited this brilliantly. It made the audience complicit in the "entertainment" of Kate’s humiliation.
A Shift in Direction
For years, the Globe has been pushing the boundaries of what "original practices" means. Under Michelle Terry’s artistic directorship, there's been a clear move toward radical re-interpretation.
- Gender-blind casting is now the norm, not the exception.
- Visual symbolism often trumps historical accuracy.
- The Inclusion of the Induction has become a vital tool for framing problematic scripts.
In this specific 2024 run, the use of a "play captain" and the stylized movement showed a shift away from the gritty realism of previous decades. It felt more like a Brechtian exercise than a night of Shakespearean comedy.
Does it still work as a comedy?
Kinda. But only if you find the absurdity of human cruelty funny.
The audience laughed, sure. But the laughs were often nervous. When Gremio or Hortensio showed up in their ridiculous costumes, the visual gag landed. But the "wooing" scenes? They felt like a hostage negotiation. This seems to be exactly what Jude Christian intended. If you walked out feeling great about marriage, you probably weren't paying attention.
Breaking Down the "Felt" Aesthetic
Let's talk about the design by Molly Stevenson. The stage was covered in bright, soft textures.
💡 You might also like: Brokeback Mountain Gay Scene: What Most People Get Wrong
- The Costumes: Oversized, cartoonish silhouettes.
- The Props: Giant scissors, fake food, hobby horses.
- The Intent: To strip away the "prestige" of Shakespeare and show the play for what it is—a series of cruel games.
By removing the realism, the production stripped away the excuses. We couldn't say "oh, that's just how it was in the 16th century" because they weren't wearing 16th-century clothes. They were wearing clothes that looked like they belonged in a nursery. It suggested that these patriarchal ideas are infantile.
Practical Insights for Shakespeare Fans
If you missed the live run, the Globe usually releases these on their "Globe Player" streaming service after a few months. It's worth a watch, especially if you’re a student of drama or a teacher. It provides a masterclass in how to handle "cancelable" content without actually canceling it.
Things to look for in the recording:
- The way Teixeira uses her eyes during the final speech.
- The transition from the Induction (the Christopher Sly opening) into the main play.
- The specific use of music to undercut the "romantic" moments.
Comparing this to the 2019 version directed by Justin Audibert (which swapped the genders of all characters) is a great exercise. While Audibert changed the "who," Christian changed the "how." Both reached the same conclusion: the play is an indictment of society, not a celebration of a "shrew" being fixed.
Final Reflections on the 2024 Season
The Taming of the Shrew Globe Theatre 2024 didn't try to fix the play's problems. It leaned into them. It made them colorful, loud, and impossible to ignore. It wasn't "pretty" Shakespeare. It was uncomfortable, vibrant, and deeply cynical.
For those looking to understand the current state of British theater, this production is a landmark. it shows a prestigious institution willing to alienate traditionalists in order to say something relevant.
Next Steps for Theatre Lovers:
- Check the Globe Player for the 2024 archival release to see the visual design firsthand.
- Compare the 2024 production notes with the RSC’s 2019 gender-flipped version to see how different companies tackle the play's inherent misogyny.
- Read the Induction (Act 1, Scene 1) of the play before watching; understanding the "Christopher Sly" frame is essential to appreciating why the 2024 version looked so artificial.