Our first show review of the year comes via NI Opera at one of our favourite theatres The Lyric with their lavish production of Cole Porter’s classic Kiss Me, Kate.
Kiss Me, Kate, Cole Porter’s iconic musical comedy follows a fiery couple of co-stars feuding both on and offstage in a production of Shakespeare’s Taming Of The Shrew.
Showbiz shenanigans together with a jazz-inflected score form a sparkling tribute to the golden age of theatre in all its greasepaint and glory. Kiss Me, Kate’s award-winning music and razor-sharp wit are catapulted into the limelight by a cast performing show-stopping numbers including Too Darn Hot; Another Op’nin’, Another Show; Brush Up Your Shakespeare; and So In Love.
Whilst chaos reigns in this behind-the-scenes battle of the sexes, the show must go on…
From the moment you step into the Lyric and are hit with what looks like the biggest television set you’ve ever seen you know that this production is going to be something a bit special.
The television set quickly gives way to a backstage area where some actors are staging a production of Shakespeare’s ‘Taming Of The Shrew’. The backstage area set is so believable that it had me wondering if this was a set at all or had they just shown us a bit too much!
The cast boasts a host of familiar faces most notably a few from The MACs excellent production of a Christmas Carol (Darren franklin, Maeve Byrne) and The Lyrics sumptuous Sweeney Todd (Matthew Caven, Jolene O’Hara, Richard Croxford) and Jayne Wisener from the film production of Sweeny Todd (and the Inbetweeners)!
Rounded off by our leads Melle Stewart and Norman Bowman who breeze through the 2-hour running time with an energy and chemistry that’s palpable. Whilst the show may be over 70 years old it feels as relatable and relevant today as it ever has, depicting the goings-on backstage and the effect that has on the stage as the actors try to hold it all together for the performance.
A special note goes to Matthew Caven (AKA Miss Cherry Ontop) and his show-stopping rendition of ‘Too Darn Hot’. In a performance, with the whole cast, that encapsulated everything about musical theatre that there is too love – replete with enough jazz hands to bring down Trump’s border wall. The total use of the theatre and his voice really made this a great central song and one that had the audience hooting for more.
The songs, by Cole Porter, truly are timeless and are delivered with the love and care of a troupe that really are at the top of their game.
A great way to start our theatre outings in 20120 and a high bar to set for the rest of the year.
Kiss Me, Kate runs until 22nd Feb – tickets and info can be found here
