Taming of the Shrew: Laurence Olivier (aged almost 15) as Katherina in 1922.

This amateur production was at All Saints, Margaret Street, London; and Stratford-upon-Avon, in April, 1922. Ellen Terry said that she had never seen Kate better played, even by a woman, except Ada Rehan (see next image). Sybil Thorndike said he was "really wonderful, the best Shrew I ever saw - a bad-tempered little bitch." A fellow actor said "What I remember about his Kate was his complete naturalness" (Joy Gibson, p. 200). Olivier's performance showed that modern boys can still emulate Elizabethan ones in female roles before starting on a mature career. HMR. Courtesy of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon.