The Taming of the Shrew in performance reviewers as being extremely physical. Lunt and Fontanne were the most famous celebrity couple of the time, and their backstage fights were rumoured to be just as ferocious as their on-stage performances. So legendary did the tempestuous reputation of the couple become that Cole Porter's 1948 musical "Kiss Me, Kate", about a fiery couple attempting to stage an adaptation of "The Taming of the Shrew", was based on their real-life antics. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the play has been frequently staged all over the world. Some notable productions include: "The Shrew"s popularity on stage has continued
The Taming of the Shrew contains the line "He calls his Kate, and she must come and kiss him." This must refer to "The Shrew", as there is no corresponding "kissing scene" in "A Shrew". There are also verbal similarities between both "Shrew" plays and the anonymous play "A Knack To Know A Knave" (first performed at The Rose on 10 June 1592). "Knack" features several passages common to both "A Shrew" and "The Shrew", but it also borrows several passages unique to "The Shrew". This suggests "The Shrew" was on stage prior to June 1592. In his 1982 edition of the play for The