Somehow it’s particularly appropriate that Shakespeare’s Globe chose Joe Murphy to direct a new production of The Taming of the Shrew. For this new Shrew features an all-female cast, and it was a girl that attracted Joe to working in the theatre in the first place — a Google search reveals. “I can’t believe you dragged that up, it’s so embarrassing!” Joe laughs. “When I was 13, I’d started doing amateur dramatics as an actor, and there was this Irish student called Eva. She was ten years older than me, but she thought acting was cool: it’s weird how we find different ways into theatre. I’m not sure Eva ever knew how much I loved her!”

We are talking in the Globe’s café just after a packed matinée show, and Joe’s enthusiasm for the play is very evident. But, he admits, he was somewhat nervous to begin with.

“Anyone taking the play on gets a little bit afraid of all the controversy that it has caused over the years. For me, Shrew has this incredibly controversial history with women’s rights. Then it struck me as an opportunity to let a group of women give their slant on it, and take over a stage that is so often dominated by men: Shakespeare’s characters are so often male. So initial trepidation turned to excitement quite quickly.”

But an all-female cast must surely present a director with extra challenges? Should male body language be introduced for instance?

“There was some talk at the beginning about whether the actors should walk and talk like men. But what is walking or talking like a man? I think the variety within masculinity is as great as it is between male and female, so that felt slightly reductive. “Actually this is an opportunity for great actors to take on great parts that might not normally be available.”

Although I saw the production at the Globe itself, it’s designed to tour, and will visit a wide assortment of outdoor venues. There’s the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, for instance, with its sound of waves breaking on the shore just below the stage, and the distinct possibility of gales howling noisily round the surrounding cliffs. On the other hand there’s the calm of the Old Schools Quadrangle at the Bodleian Library.

“This mad outdoor thing is quite something” Joe exclaims. “You’ve got to cope with any weather conditions, from blazing sunshine, to gales, and everything in between. You also have to be able to expand or contract to whatever space you’ve got — it’s a bit like putting gas in a balloon.”

Joy Richardson is one of eight actors who make up the cast. She plays two men and a woman: Gremio, Vincentio, and Widow. “The two men are much older than me!” Joy points out with glee. “So I had to work hard on the changes that happen when your body and your breathing start to change. I worked from the inside of the characters outwards, because I think that inside both men feel they have a lot of life left in them. I studied my mother: she is 80, but works hard to remain vibrant and young in character.”

Those who deride Gremio for his advancing years had better watch out, however. Joy has a black belt in Karate so they could get more than they bargain for.

“That’s right!” Joy laughs. “When I was a child I had a chronic stammer, and doing martial arts helped me to get to know myself, and how to engage with the world. A stammer stops you from being you because you put so much energy into trying to speak.

“Now I’m particularly looking forward to going back to Oxford, because I went to Kellogg College and four years ago got my MSc in creative writing. So appearing there is a real dream come true for me.”

 

Bodleian Library, Oxford
July 9–12
Tickets: 01865 305305 or oxfordplayhouse.com