Director Kate McGuinness and her fellow year 12 students turn history on its head by having an all-female cast, when the Shakespearean tradition let only male players tread the boards in female roles.

The play's plot centres around the courtship of headstrong Katherina and her suitor Petruchio's eventually successful attempts to subdue her into an obedient bride.

"We studied it in English last year and we were really interested in gender and the role of women in society," Kate said.

"We wanted to do a play on gender and feminism, and explore the changing role of women and how we're still fighting the same fight."

To highlight the struggle for gender equality, the place has been adapted and re-set in 1970s' Australia, in the Canberra surround of Parliament House.

"After Whitlam died last year, we wanted to do something in this period of change for women and how some things are still the same such as equal pay and access to education for women," she said.

"It centres on the status of women and the general role of women in society then and now."

The ambitious remake was entirely produced from student labour, with music students underscoring the film, student lighting technicians volunteering their time and long school holiday set-building sessions.

Drama teacher Fran Curtis said that she was proud of the students' efforts.

"I'm very happy they felt confident to take on Shakespeare, it's a testament to the dedication, talent and community of our students," she said.