Kiss Me Kate
Upstairs at the Gatehouse
Reviewed on Tuesday 17th December 2013
There
is nothing worse than seeing an awful fringe show, but there is nothing better
than discovering a world class production hidden away above a pub in Highgate. This
Christmas Ovation have staged the fringe premiere of Kiss Me Kate which was
last seen in London this time last year when Chichester's production of the
musical transferred to the Old Vic. When this production was announced, having
seen Chichester's brilliant staging, I wondered how such a huge musical could
work in such a small theatre... but John Plew's production has blown me away.
Kiss
Me Kate features a show-within-a-show and follows the action both on and off
stage as divorcees Lilli (aka Kate, played by Sabrina Carter) and Fred (aka
Petruchio, played by Gavin Keenan) star in a production of The Taming of the
Shrew. Sparks fly off-stage and the pair seek revenge on-stage during scenes leading to
Lilli quitting the show mid-performance. However, when two gangsters turn up
(played by Dominic Quinn and Martin Steven Carlton) looking for Fred regarding an I.O.U,
they soon realise it is in their interest for Lilli to stay... On
paper the story appears confusing but on-stage it's very easy to follow, Kiss
Me Kate is hilarious yet never becomes overly silly or farcical.
Upstairs
at the Gatehouse has a larger space than rival fringe theatres, the traverse
staging means the performance space is quite long and thin which works
perfectly for the production, particularly as the cast ensure both sides of the
audience are treated equally. Cole Porter's score is a dream and features
classic after classic. The cast may be small but when they belt out the big
numbers I felt as if I was in the West End. The band are also terrific and
received huge applause from the adoring audience, all of whom waited to listen
to the final play-out.
Sabrina
Carter gives the performance of a lifetime as Lilli, her portrayal is fierce
yet sincere and utterly hysterical. She completely lets go and you can't help
but fall in love with the character. Carter, who also tackles the huge score as
if it’s a walk in the park, has fantastic chemistry with Gavin Keenan who has
put his own spin on Fred. His overly camp, spontaneous performance left many
open-mouthed and roaring with laugher; he grows with the show and comes into
his own during the second act.
Having
seen Chichester's production at the beginning of the year I can't help but
compare the two shows which are very different but equally as perfect. It's
refreshing to see so many of the characters interpreted completely differently
as it would be boring to sit through the exact same show again. The only moment
which I found a little disappointing was Carter's rendition of 'I Hate Men'.
After watching Hannah Waddingham belt and scream her way through the number at
the Old Vic I wondered if she was ever going to be able to speak again, let
alone carry on with the show. Her performance was the highlight of the evening
so I was a little underwhelmed by Ovation’s staging of the song. Obviously this
is a minor detail, I
just thought more could have been done with such a big number.
As
well as 'Too Darn Hot', other highlights came during act two with Dominic
Quinn and Martin Steven Carlton's never-ending rendition of 'Brush Up Your Shakespeare'
which, once again, showcases Seager's remarkable choreography, and Gavin
Keenan's rendition of the 'So In Love' reprise. Keenan's characterisation
builds and builds so it was nice to see him calm down and perform the number
with sincerity.
Kiss
Me Kate is known for being quite a long show but I didn't find one moment of
this production dull or boring. If you're looking for a classy, high quality (and
not overpriced) evening at the theatre you must make time to see
this delightful production.
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
Kiss Me Kate runs at Upstairs at the Gatehouse until Sunday 26th January 2014.
Please visit www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com for further information and tickets.
Photo Credit: Darren Bell
Follow @West_End_Frame
totally agree, it was great!
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