Elexi Walker on her role as Katherine.

Elexi was kind enough to respond via facebook to some questions I sent her regarding Southwark playhouse's production of The Taming of the Shrew. Elexi played Katherine set in a bustly part of South London where she says "there is a mix of people from different countries, but particularly a large portion of the demographic are from, or descendants of the Carribean. Katherine, Bianca and Baptista's family were from Jamaica. Setting the play in a place like this served to bring the story into the modern age."

"We decided that Katherine was not the screaming banshee as she is often played in period set pieces, and note was taken of how little she speaks, and when she speaks, what she said. I think that this informed how intelligent people saw her... she would say what she thought, and never mind what anyone else thinks, and this was also demonstrated in how she dressed, and how it changed as time passed.

"I would say that the play does highlight how much of a man's world it is and that women are still seen as inferior, and how women are expected to do what men want... Katherine does all she can to fight against this, and in our production, the "starving" and "arguing" that she is subjected to by Petruchio is not a malicious thing, but because he actually likes Katherine on first sight, and falls in love with her by that part of the play, it is an attempt to end his feeling awkward as a result of her silent treatment, after being publicly humiliated after the wedding (the "she is my goods, my chattels..." speech.) He brings her a bacon sandwich just before the tailor brings the dress out. Sweet isn't he?

On the whole though, it was important to show that Katherine and Petruchio were equal, despite their difference in their respective "new money/old money" backgrounds. They are as clever as each other and we can see that in the banter that they have in the wooing scene... Katherine is stubborn and doesn't stand for s***, but is essentially bowled over by this arrogant, witty, handsome man, who is not afraid of her, and the growth of their relationship allows them to play and tease each other.... and dupe her dad out of loads of money... leaving the audience with the feeling that the final scene is the beginning of their story."