19:30, Mon 24th – Tue 25th November 2025 at Girton College Old Hall
15:00, Wed 26th November 2025 at Girton College Old Hall
Michaelmas Week 7
An acting company in Baltimore is rehearsing for their production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Divorcees Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi are playing the lead roles and tension is high, especially as Fred is now pursuing a younger actress, Lois Lane, who plays Bianca. Lois’s boyfriend, Bill, admits to Lois that, while gambling, he has signed a large I.O.U. in Fred’s name. Two gangsters show up outside Fred’s dressing room, demanding this money, but allow him some time before they return to collect it.
During the first performance of The Taming of the Shrew, Lilli reads a love letter written by Fred to Lilli and furiously decides to quit. However, the gangsters have returned and Fred tells them he can’t pay if Lilli leaves the show, so they hold her at gunpoint until she agrees to keep acting.
Lilli’s fiance, Harrison, arrives to discuss wedding plans and Fred points out how boring her life will be with him, causing Lilli to run away, alone. Meanwhile, the gangsters discover their boss has been killed and so the I.O.U. is no longer valid. As the cast prepares for the end of the play, Lilli returns just in time, reconciling with Fred on the stage alongside Lois and Bill.