TWO Gents Productions are presenting The Taming of The Shrew, with its topsy-turvy examination of gender roles and marriage, at the York International Shakespeare Festival this Friday and Saturday.

Shakespeare's comedy will be performed at the Friargate Theatre in the London touring theatre company's trademark style, wherein their adaptations highlight issues of migration and displacement in the Bard's plays.

The company's signature bare-boned mode of performance involves two actors of cross-cultural backgrounds telling Shakespeare's story, in this case Kudzi Hudson and Sibusiso Mamba.

The Taming Of The Shrew forms part of The Complete Shakespeare Project, where Two Gents are attempting to become the first ever theatre company to perform Shakespeare’s full works in chronological order, as opposed to York Shakespeare Project's commitment since 2001 to performing all Shakespeare’s plays over a 20-year period, but not in date order.

Founder and director Arne Pohlmeier says: "After our groundbreaking success at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2012 with Two Gentlemen Of Verona, we have launched our attack on the Complete Works of Shakespeare. We bring very little in terms of props, set or other theatrical machinery and focus on the talent and creative resources of our migrant actors to bring the plays to rich and abundant life.

"With The Taming Of The Shrew, we're setting out to tackle the classic war of the sexes in our distinctly cross-cultural style. With only two actors on a bare stage – fusing Shakespeare’s text with the actors’ experience of migration, displacement and cultural otherness – we invite you, our audience, to consider this: Is Petrucchio’s ‘taming’ of Kate an act of love, of violent submission, or, perhaps more controversially, both?"

Before today's performance, Arne Pohlmeier will give a workshop demonstration at 10am at York St John University’s Temple Hall. Tickets for today's 7.30pm show and Saturday's noon matinee and 7.30pm show are on sale at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk or on 01904 623568.