ELEANOR HUDSON

MY REVIEW


Kiss Me Kate has a show within a show structure, with a troublesome love story linking the two. They've taken Shakespeare's 'The Taming Of The Shrew' and revived it, however Broadway co-stars and (still madly in love with each other) divorcees, Lilli Vanessi and Fred Graham, get slightly more into character through some behind the scenes conflict. This comical production is filled with energising dances, that even make the audience feel out of breath and heart melting performances which leave not only the cast breathless but the audience as well.

Director, Trevor Nunn, has taken ''Kiss Me Kate'' and revived it to a new, bigger, higher level. With bigger dancers, better lights and set even down to the smallish details, they have been perfected.

Starting with the lighting and set. Most of the lighting was a general wash, for a realistic effect. The only time lights were used to create an emotion was during 'Too Damn Hot', where a gentle, orange wash was used, this helped the audience feel the heart which added nicely to the body language and motions they were pursuing.

I felt that the way they changed set was incredibly creative and clever. Nunn used almost no blackouts, and only one curtain. Small boxes were carried on by the chorus and placed centre stage. Then the chorus dancers made changing scene into a routine, by using polls to gracefully uplift a new setting. The set was always in black and white and almost looked as if it was a picture drawn onto paper. This prevents distraction for the dramatic performance in front. Also during Shakespeare's production, the chorus costumes are also black and white which looks lovely on stage lots of bold patterns, however your attention is still drawn to the characters.

Back to the beginning, the show didn't really have a start. The cast slowly come on as members of the production team and stage setting up the lights and set. On stage right is someone getting ready at the piano, at this point the audience are still in full conversation and are wondering why the stalls lights have not been dimmed as of yet. Slowly, the chorus dancers and cast flow onto stage and get into places. Nunn's decision executed 'another opening, another show' in a different fashion. The routine was full out and there were added harmonies to make the song more interesting.

The dance costumes were very 70's which modernised the era in which the show was originally set. The differences in costume also helped to show the audience when they were back stage and when they were doing the show, there never seemed to be a point when the audience was confused as to where the characters were. The language used also helped set and contrast the scenes in different time periods, for example when the actors were performing in ' The Taming Of The Shrew, they would use Elizabethan language