THE two youngstars in Independent Ballet Wales' Taming of the Shrew portrayed a fantastic range of emotions during their performance at the Conquest Theatre on Sunday.

As Kate and Petruchio, the fiery shrew and her brave, taming husband, Amy Doughty and Keir Briody were full of petulant, combative emotion.

In an epilogue outside of Shakespeare's story about a man who tames his bullish wife and makes her happy, Briody portrays a drunk who, after sleeping rough, seeks and finds forgiveness from his spouse.

In these moments, the range of expression, love and understanding about what can pass between a man and woman as they struggle to find their feet and forgive each other is delightful. For young performers to grasp the ranges of emotion is a remarkable feat and one that stirred the heartstrings to bring the show to life.

Overall the ballet's production has been perfectly suited to the small, regional theatres around which it has toured, and found a full house in Bromyard.

Using simple sets, colourful costumes and music ranging from classical to 1950's to Bjork, the Independent Ballet Wales seems to embrace whatever they feel most suits their subject and could inspire anyone into trying out a pirouette or two.

Ally Hardy