Review of Kiss Me Kate at Kilworth House Theatre

A theatre shrouded in trees on the estate of a house with landscaped, picnic and woodland areas is a tremendous boost to anyone putting on a show and Kiss Me Kate from director Matthew White lives up to the wonder of its location.
Kiss Me Kate based on a book by Sam and Bella Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter is itself based upon Shakespeare's work The Taming of the Shrew. A theatre company with principal performers divorcees Lilli Vanessi (Caroline Sheen) and Fred Graham (Matthew McKenna) are putting on Shrew interspersed with their quarrelling behind and on stage. Added to the mix is a romantic side piece featuring Lois Lane (Monique Young) and Bill Calhoun (Justin Thomas) and some nefarious characters after some money.

Caroline Sheen

There is just so much to delight in from this production, right from the first viewing of the impressive and very grand set and an amazingly well choreographed initial number of Another Op'nin', Another Show, you just know that this is going to be a fabulous evening. The entire show is maintained at a flowing pace with set changes fluently becoming part of the show and never breaking the pace, and clever staging using all areas of the theatre space, including aisles and side entrances.

Matthew McKenna

The two leads Caroline Sheen and Matthew McKenna are brilliant together in their sparky dialogue. McKenna, in particular, had quite a brilliant way of enunciating his words making it all perfectly very thespian-like and tremendous fun. There were as this was opening night a few slight line fluffs, all in one scene between them, however, nothing deters the fact that these two are going to be tremendous together during this run.

Monique Young

Also once again rather special is Monique Young, having seen her in the Hairspray tour in 2015 and picking her out as the star of the show then, here as Lois Lane she very nearly steals the show once again. Her Lois is light and joyful and she shares with Gremio (Andrew Gordon-Watkins), Hortensio (Davide Fienauri) and Lucentio (Justin Thomas) perhaps the best number of the show, Tom, Dick or Harry. Thomas in this number and his delightful performance of Bianca in the second act also shows his quite incredible gymnastics ability.

Also highly entertaining and bringing great humour to the show were Cory English as Gangster 1 and Carl Sanderson as Gangster 2. Certainly audience favourites and the classic Brush Up Your Shakespeare was very well performed. There is also a great turn from Tarinn Callender as Paul, putting great vocal and dance skills in Too Darn Hot, in this, his professional debut.

Another interesting aspect of this musical for me was that despite being outside, the sound was the best that I have heard from a musical. Sound designer Chris Whybrow and strong 12 piece orchestra led by musical director Michael England fill the theatre with strong and meaty music, however unlike most shows in indoor theatres the balance is just perfect with the vocalists not disappearing behind the music. There are many a theatre that could learn from this venue, team and setup.

So a brilliantly entertaining evening of a really fun musical, full of great characters and bags of familiar tunes. Some incredible singing and a hugely skilled ensemble make this not only a must see if you can make it, but also a great opportunity to visit this brilliant venue.

★★★★★

Performance reviewed: Wednesday, May 31st, 2017 at the Kilworth House Theatre,

.
Kiss Me Kate runs at the Kilworth House Theatre until Sunday 16th July 2017.
For further details visit http://www.kilworthhousetheatre.co.uk/

Review of Elf the Musical (N.M.T.C.) at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

Christmas has come early this year thanks to the Northampton Musical Theatre Company and their annual performance at Royal & Derngate; this year, they bring Elf the Musical to the stage. First staged in 2010, this musical version of the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy features music by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin and is based on the book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan, from David Berenbaum's original screenplay. Elf tells the tale of Buddy, a human raised by Santa's elves, who eventually learns that his origins are less North Pole and more the skyscraper streets of New York City. So, for Buddy, it’s time to travel to the Big Apple and finally meet his biological father. Matt Clarke's lead performance in Elf is strong. Clarke brings Buddy to life with all the childish manners and silly behaviour that make the character an endearing lead. He also has the vocal ability and movement to match, and he effortlessly entertains, especially the young kids, with his zany antics. Han...

Review of Matilda at Milton Keynes Theatre

Roald Dahl is perhaps one of the most famous children’s authors of any generation, and his work has inspired an exceptional number of film, television, and theatre adaptations. Fifteen years ago, this musical of Matilda , one of his most fondly remembered stories, took to the stage and has not looked back since. Adapted from the original book by Dennis Kelly, with lyrics and music by Tim Minchin, the show has been a fixture at the Cambridge Theatre in London since 2011, has performed on Broadway, and is now reaching Milton Keynes Theatre as part of its second UK and Ireland Tour. Inspired by the Roald Dahl book of the same name, this Royal Shakespeare Company’s multi-award-winning musical tells the story of an extraordinary little girl with a vivid imagination and the courage to change her own destiny. Matilda is of course the centre of attention in this production, and on this extensive tour, the role is shared by Felicity Brown, Petra Hutchings, Mollie Hutton, and Caroline Ravansari ...

Review of Annie at Milton Keynes Theatre

Annie was first performed now a remarkable fifty years ago at Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and since then, the tale based on a 1920s comic strip and adapted for the stage by Thomas Meehan on book, with music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics provided by Martin Charnin, has become a perennial favourite across the world. Indeed, this version, directed by Nikolai Foster, last appeared at Milton Keynes Theatre in 2023. So, after all these years, does Annie still have that appeal? Set in 1930s New York during the Great Depression, Annie follows the life of an orphan abandoned to the care of its evil matron, Miss Hannigan. Annie seeks escape, and after one failed attempt, she finds herself the chosen Christmas guest of billionaire Oliver Warbucks, and things slowly, hopefully begin to improve for the little but fiercely strong Annie. Leading the adult cast for this tour now as the cruel Miss Hannigan is Claire Sweeney. Sweeney clearly revels in the chance to embr...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog