Turning Petruchio into Petruchia, and the male-dominated world of Padua into a matriarchy, was a decision director Justin Audiber made soon after accepting the challenge of staging The Taming Of The Shrew for the Royal Shakespeare Company. This gender-flipped production of Shakespeare’s problematic comedy started in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the author’s birthplace, before opening at the Barbican. Refreshed for a modern audience, the prodigious ensemble captures the wit and playful spirit of the original text. The female focus extends to the creative team, including composer Ruth Chan—whose musical arrangements are a collision of anachronistic rock and period-appropriate verses—and costume designer Hannah Clark. —B.A.