An investor should snap up this weepy musical: Sleepless reviewed

It has roughly the same proportions as Shakespeare’s Globe. The Roman Theatre in Verulamium (St Albans) is an atmospheric ruin with low flint walls, a banked rampart and a single stone column. Historians estimate that the circular space, measuring about 40 yards in diameter, would have enabled 7,000 spectators to watch plays, gladiatorial contests and executions. That figure seems too high. A capacity of 1,500 might be nearer the mark. These days the venue hosts outdoor theatre. Playgoers who sit at the edge of the auditorium can reach out and touch the ancient flint walls and run their fingers across the grain of the Roman concrete.

During the August cold snap I watched The Taming of the Shrew, by Folksy Theatre, under an ominous grey sky. Mild drizzle was pattering on our heads as the cast entered the stage. Kate and Bianca played violins to summarise the plot. Bianca sweetened the air with tuneful melodies while Kate tried to sabotage her sister’s efforts by thrashing out harsh aggressive phrases. They ended up physically fighting each other. Comic brutality was the production’s theme. Three times Kate was hurled off the stage by her rough-and-ready suitor.

Lee Cameron, a willowy blonde, gave a convincing account of Kate’s spoiled-brat rages and mood swings. Stuart Scott’s Petruchio relied a little too heavily on tummy-rubbing and groin-thrusting gestures. It’s a tough part to get right because he’s undoubtedly a swine and a brute but he’s blessed with a measure of innocent, self-centred charm. Scott prioritised his likeability over his sadism.

After 90 minutes the gentle shower raised its game and began to fall in chilly sheets direct from Orkney. The playgoers held firm, crouching under umbrellas and tucking their shivering legs beneath their seats.