Kiss Me, Kate made history when it became the first ever Best Musical winner at the 3rd annual Tony Awards in 1949. 75 years, multiple TV adaptations and an Oscar winning 3D film later, the bawdy Broadway classic officially returned to the West End last night. But with the original production setting the (wunder)bar so high, could the latest revival starring Stephanie J. Block, Adrian Dunbar, Charlie Stemp and Georgina Onuorah live up to audiences expectations?
What is Kiss Me, Kate about?
A timeless romp through the world of theatre, Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy turns into a tragedy when bickering divorcées, Fred and Lilli, attempt to pull off a musical adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew. Putting the backstage drama firmly in the spotlight, this musical within a musical weaves together the on-stage and off-stage lives of a theatre company as they navigate love, jealousy, and mistaken identities.
Featuring a full scale orchestra and a Tony award-winning score, did critics think the adaptation was Too Darn Hot, or were they left feeling cold?
What are the critics saying about Kiss Me, Kate?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is one of the must-see musicals of the summer’ - All That Dazzles
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An exhilarating revival’ - The Guardian
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A supremely silly evening of summer escapism’ - The Independent
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A scorchingly successful night out’ - WhatsOnStage
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A lush, wittily spectacular production’ - Time Out
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Block is a dynamic presence, wringing every drop of mirth and venom from the semi-operatic I Hate Men' - The Times
Book Kiss Me, Kate tickets today!
Playing for a strictly limited 15-week run at the Barbican Theatre, don’t miss your chance to see this critically acclaimed musical.