TAMED or It’s Hard To Get A Real Horse is a new theatre show by Flight of the Escales that takes a playful look at how we are tamed by the structures and systems that surround us.
Written and directed by Sarah Calver, this new piece has been made in collaboration with women in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Through a series of workshops with local people over a course of six months, Sarah has listened to stories and experiences that have in term informed the writing of the play, including tales of motherhood, marriage, working life and ageing. The result is an ambitious theatrical event that will transform St George’s Theatre.
A community chorus will be part of the ensemble cast, which includes Ola Stojak, Denise Stephenson, Isabella Leung, Samantha Manzur and Anna Martine Freeman.
Based sort of on The Taming of the Shrew, TAMED or It’s Hard To Get A Real Horse is a play about conforming to – and rebelling against – the status quo.
In the play, an all-female cast gather to rehearse for a new adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew. Taking turns to interpret the timeless character of Kate (the ‘shrewish’ woman who refuses to conform to what is expected of her) and drawing on the epic, the mundane and the ridiculous, they re-enact scenes and versions of events; exploring the tamed and the untamed, the conformer and the rebel, the collective and the individual – and how hard it is to find a real horse.
Merging text, dance and technology and straddling comedy and drama, the play responds to the places and people of Great Yarmouth and is being made on location at St George’s Theatre in the town.
Sarah Calver, Artistic Director of Flight of the Escales, comments, “I have been working with inspiration women in Great Yarmouth for several months, and they all have stories to tell about the expectations placed on them by society. It’s a pleasure to takes these stories and weave them into quality, place-responsive theatre. Our costumes are made by local community groups; people have even donated old wedding dresses that have been stitched together to create an epic wedding costume! We have an intergenerational cast and a community chorus, and the work has been made in the wonderful St George’s Theatre. This is an ambitious show that is deeply rooted in Norfolk.”
Debbie Thompson, Director of St George’s Theatre comments, “We are very excited about the production, it is fantastic to have St. George’s Theatre celebrated by creating a show that uses its uniqueness and beauty as a venue. It is a joy to work with a company of this calibre and tremendous that the community are having such have an important input, with this amazing opportunity.”
Jez Pike, Head of Creative Development at Norwich Theatre, comments, “We are so excited to see this ambitious work fully realised with communities, having supported its development since 2022. We’re delighted to be platforming the production through our Beyond Stage; engaging audiences from across the region, and in doing so drawing attention to the vibrant culture developing in Great Yarmouth, and the vital work of St. George’s.”
Flight of the Escales is an international theatre company rooted in East Anglia. The company creates original live performance and film that is often mischievous and subversive, and usually engages with audiences in new ways. The voices, perspectives and people within the community are reflected in their work.
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