It says in the programme that this is a production that will challenge the concept of Shakespeare as ‘a man of literature and reveal him as a man of entertainment’. How true!

Performing as the Pembroke Players on their 400th Anniversary Tour, the cast bounce onto the stage and delight in presenting Shakespeare to us. Interspersed with wit and wisdom from Shakespeare himself (young and with hair), we are given The Shrew in the simplest and liveliest of forms. A wonderfully strong cast of seven play the many roles with gusto, tumbling here, fire-blowing there, whipping asides and cracking one-liners at the constantly grinning audience.

The premise of Shakespeare being entertainment is a long-forgotten one. Or so it feels to me. But nothing heavy and literary here. The stage is a real cart that opens like a magic box – it is usually drawn by a horse into open air venues – and one feels the energy and excitement of the cast from the start. One question though: how does the glamorous Elli Mackenzie manage to look so unsightly as Katherina, when all she does is put a large beautiful wig on?