Taming Of The Shrew

Dramatization

The Taming of the Shrew is all fast talk, sharp wit, disguises, and the wild dance of two people who refuse to give an inch. These dramatizations bring the play’s crackling energy to life — the noisy households, the scheming suitors, the verbal fencing, and the chaotic push-and-pull between Kate and Petruchio. Expect lively full-cast performances with bright pacing, bold character work, and sound design that keeps the comedy brisk and the arguments deliciously unruly.

Recordings are fewer than for the major comedies, but we gathered the strongest and most vibrant productions available.

Taming Of The Shrew (The ARC)

Runtime: 2h 54m 36s

Narrator: Geoffrey Giuliano, The Arc

The Taming of the Shrew

Runtime: 1h 59m 30s

The Taming Of The Shrew (ARGO Classics)

Runtime: 2h 07m 52s

The Taming of the Shrew (ARKANGEL)

Runtime: 2h 17m 12s

Narrator: Frances Barber, Roger Allam, a full cast

The Taming Of The Shrew (BBC Radio)

Runtime: 1h 39m 01s

Narrator: Full Cast, Burn Gorman, Gerard McSorley, Jutta Fo…

The Taming of the Shrew (Caedmon)

Runtime: 1h 58m 54s

Narrator: Full Cast

Novels Based On The Taming of the Shrew

These novels tap directly into the electricity of The Taming of the Shrew — the spark of clashing personalities, the joy of sharp banter, and the irresistible pull of two stubborn people figuring out love on their own terms. Some are deliberate retellings: Anne Tyler’s Vinegar Girl, part of the Hogarth Shakespeare project, lifts the play’s architecture into modern Baltimore with a dry, clever twist. Chloe Liese’s Better Hate Than Never reimagines Kate and Petruchio as contemporary rivals whose bickering melts into something warmer. Others are Shrew-adjacent, borrowing the play’s beating heart rather than its plot. Dating Dr. Dil modernizes the battle-of-wills dynamic with a South Asian rom-com flair; Act Your Age, Eve Brown pairs a chaotic heroine with a rule-bound partner in classic Shrew fashion; and You Deserve Each Other turns relationship brinkmanship into a full-contact romantic sport. The Kiss Quotient approaches the theme from another angle — a relationship that teaches both partners how to communicate, adapt, and soften — echoing Shrew’s emotional recalibrations rather than its confrontations. You’ll also find playful nods and modern reinterpretations: the anthology That Way Madness Lies includes a Shrew-specific retelling, while What Not to Do on Vacation uses the enemies-to-lovers fireworks that trace their lineage straight back to Shakespeare’s feistiest couple. Together, these novels form a bright constellation around The Taming of the Shrew — some faithful, some rebellious, all alive with the same spark: big feelings, bold personalities, and the messy, funny, surprising work of learning how to love someone who pushes back.