Kiss Me Kate at The Old Vic

On the evening of Saturday 19th January 2013 I made my way from London's West End across the River Thames to Waterloo Station and then onto The Old Vic Theatre for the evening performance of the dazzling multi award-winning classic Broadway musical Kiss Me, Kate. This glittering new production, directed by Trevor Nunn, starred Christopher Dickins, David Burt, Adam Garcia, Clive Rowe and Hannah Waddingham. The Chichester Festival Theatre's 2012 revival of the show transferred to the Old Vic Theatre in November 2012, with an official opening in December. The show has received positive reviews from critics and audiences.

Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show's director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi. A secondary romance concerns Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca, and her gambler boyfriend, Bill, who runs afoul with some gangsters.

Kiss Me, Kate is full of wonderful songs throughout the show. The songs in Act I are "Another Op'nin', Another Show" – Hattie and Company, "Why Can't You Behave?" – Lois Lane and Bill Calhoun, "Wunderbar" – Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, "So in Love" – Lilli Vanessi, "We Open in Venice" – Fred Graham, Lilli Vanessi, Lois Lane and Bill Calhoun, "Tom, Dick or Harry" – Bianca, Lucentio, Gremio and Hortensio, "I've Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua" – Fred Graham and The Men, "I Hate Men" – Lilli Vanessi, "Were Thine That Special Face" – Fred Graham, "We Sing of Love (Cantiamo D'Amore)" – Lois Lane, Bill Calhoun and Ensemble and "Kiss Me, Kate" – Fred Graham, Lili Vanessi and Ensemble.

In Act II the songs are Too Darn Hot" – Paul and Ensemble, "Where is the Life That Late I Led?" – Fred Graham, "Always True to You in My Fashion" – Lois Lane, "From This Moment On" – Harrison Howell and Lilli Vanessi, "Bianca" – Bill Calhoun and Company, "So in Love" (Reprise) – Fred Graham, "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" – First Gangster and Second Gangster, "I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple" – Lilli Vanessi and "Kiss Me, Kate" (Reprise = Finale) – Company.

The Old Vic was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian Baylis assumed management and began a series of Shakespeare productions in 1914. The building was damaged in 1940 during air raids and it became a Grade II listed building in 1951 after it reopened.

It was also the name of a repertory company that was based at the theatre. The company formed the core of the National Theatre of Great Britain on its formation in 1963, under Laurence Olivier. The National Theatre remained at the Old Vic until new premises were constructed on the South Bank, opening in 1976. It underwent complete refurbishment in 1985. In 2003 Kevin Spacey was appointed as new artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre Company which received considerable media attention.

It was an amazing experience to visit The Old Vic and attend such a wonderful show as Kiss Me, Kate. This Theatre is full of history and such a beautiful building and was the perfect place to enjoy such a brilliant musical. There was a capacity audience on the night who were entertained for three hours with a splendid  performance from all the cast which included lots of laughs on the way. I really enjoyed all the great songs which made this truly a night to remember.

The Taming of the Shrew at Norwich Cathedral

On the evening of Wednesday 11th July 2012 I attended the GB Theatre Company performance of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew at Norwich Cathedral as part of their Shakespeare Festival 2012. This was an open air theatre production in the cathedral cloister. Their were dark clouds and peregrine falcons flying overhead but no rain on the night.

A tinker, Christopher Sly passes out drunk and is thrown out of the local tavern. A local Lord takes him to his house and decides to play a practical joke on him. He and his household convince Sly that he is in fact the Lord of the house. They inform him that a group of players have arrived to perform The Taming of the Shrew for him. This then becomes not only the play presented to Sly but also the main play presented to the audience.

Hortensio who seeks his fortune, the rich and elderly Gremio and the romantic Lucentio all arrive at the house of Baptista to woo his beautiful daughter Bianca. However, Baptista insists that Bianca cannot be wed until his older daughter, the shrewish Katherine is married, but with her violent temper and reputation for shrewishness who will marry her?

Meanwhile Lucentio has gained the upper hand with Bianca. His servant Tranio convinces a travelling school teacher to pretend to be Lucentio’s father, Vincentio. Baptista wants to meet Vincentio to discuss details of the marriage. When the real Vincentio turns up there is great confusion, but eventually the match of Lucentio and Bianca is settled.

In the meantime, Hortensio has found a wealthy widow to wed. Petruchio and Katherine return to attend the wedding. Everyone is surprised at what appears to be a tamed Katherine. The men hold a wager to see whose wife is most attentive to their wishes and call for them, but only Katherine answers and she makes a speech in homage to her husband’s wishes whilst he watches on dotingly. The only question is: ‘Who has tamed whom?’

This was a wonderful evening at Norwich Cathedral as the GB Theatre Company put on a splendid show with amazing performances from Lucia McAnespie as Katherine and David Davies as Petruchio. This production was directed by Jenny Stephens who previously directed The Merry Wives of Windsor for them in 2010.