Tag Archives: Jonathan Evans

KISS ME, KATE

★★★★

Barbican

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KISS ME, KATE at the Barbican

★★★★

“This is a blazing production, burning with wit and charm, song and dance, and with a feelgood finale that is far hotter than a British summer”

We are officially in summer in a couple of days’ time, although it might not necessarily feel like it. But a couple of bars into the overture of Cole Porter’s classic, “Kiss Me, Kate” and the clouds disappear. We are instantly put in a good mood, unable to resist the warmth and the joie de vivre this sizzling and silly musical has to offer. Porter is on top form, complemented brilliantly by Sam and Bella Spewack’s book which adopts Shakespeare’s ‘play-within-a-play’ trick, taking its subterfuge to new heights.

Both ‘Taming of the Shrew’ and ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ have gathered accusations of misogyny over time, but if you look deeper, the bard and the songsmith are, in fact, championing women’s rights. And Bartlett Sher’s revival brushes off any remaining crumbs of sexism that may linger with this revival. The sheer force of the two leading ladies’ performances, of course, helps immensely.

The show opens with a curtain call. One that is being rehearsed for the opening night of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. Fred (Adrian Dunbar), the egotistical director and producer, is starring as Petruchio while his ex-wife, Lilli (Stephanie J. Block), plays Katherine. The two bicker constantly, like Burton and Taylor on a bad day, yet Dunbar and Block effortlessly reveal the deep-seated, hidden love and affection they still hold for each other. The only casualty here is the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ dynamic – we just know from the off that they’ll eventually reconcile, despite Lilli being betrothed to a strait-laced, regimental General Harrison Howell (a delightful cameo from the underused Peter Davison).

 

 

Meanwhile Lois (Georgina Onuorah) and her gambling, misbehaving boyfriend, Bill (Charlie Stemp), are enjoying their own backstage tussles. Not least because there’s a thing going on between Lois and Fred. The shenanigans don’t stay in the green room, however, but are dragged kicking and screaming onto the stage, playing havoc with Shakespeare’s storyline. Throw in a couple of gangsters chasing a gambling debt (Hammed Animashaun and Nigel Lindsay), and the farce is complete.

It is a star-studded production, with an equally starry ensemble. Everyone has a moment to glow in the spotlight, yet nobody outshines anyone else. Each swing, and chorus member, portrays a well-defined, unspoken personality too. Anthony Van Laast’s choreography is stunning, not just visually but also in its storytelling, reaching its climax in the Act Two opener, ‘Too Darn Hot’, which elicited an ovation that finally had to be cut short by the performers themselves, worried that they might miss the last train home.

Matching the dancing skills are the vocal skills. Georgina Onuorah and Stephanie J. Block mix power with fragility, wit with emotion. Onuorah’s show-stopping ‘Always True to You in My Fashion’ is another highlight, while Block’s ‘So in Love’ is steeped in gorgeous torment. Slightly out of his depth, Adrian Dunbar reprises the number. He can hold a tune, for sure, but his vocal shortcomings do stand out against the sheer wall of virtuosity he is surrounded by. Dunbar’s own virtuosity is confined to his character acting and comic timing which is, indeed, spot on. Hammed Animashaun and Nigel Lindsay, on the other hand, are a double act with a triple threat, showcased by their superbly comic performance, and brilliant rendition of ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’.

Catherine Zuber’s costumes perfectly mirror the various elements of the show, mixing the eroticism of the backstage, sultry and sexy glamour with the onstage Elizabethan grandeur. Michael Yeargan’s revolving set seamlessly guides us through the stage door onto the stage, via the dressing rooms and back again. This is a blazing production, burning with wit and charm, song and dance, and with a feelgood finale that is far hotter than a British summer. While it’s definitely not too darn hot outside, inside the Barbican, it’s sizzling.

 


KISS ME, KATE at the Barbican

Reviewed on 18th June 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Johan Persson

 

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

LAY DOWN YOUR BURDENS | ★★★ | November 2023

KISS ME

KISS ME

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

 

THREE MEN IN A BOAT

★★★

The Mill at Sonning

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THREE MEN IN A BOAT at The Mill at Sonning

★★★

“It won’t rock the boat too much as it drifts along on its stream of witty dialogue pleasantly enough”

Published in 1889, Jerome K. Jerome’s “Three Men in a Boat” was initially intended to be a serious travel guide, with snippets of local history thrown in. But unwittingly, the author’s natural flair for comedy took over the narrative and Jerome found himself with an instant best seller on his hands. Since then, it has never been out of print and, even if not everybody has read it, most people are familiar with its title. It is simultaneously dated yet, quite rightly, resists being placed in a contemporary context. Instead, his style and influence can be seen in modern-day equivalents such as Bill Bryson, or more specifically Pete McCarthy. And even Tim Dowling owes his self-deprecating gift for focusing on the commonplace in part to Jerome.

Nothing much happens at all in “Three Men in a Boat”. That is much of its beauty, so to translate that onto the stage is going to be a tall order. Clive Francis’ adaptation moves it forward in time to the eve of World War I, although we only get a glimpse of this representation – albeit a powerful one – towards the end. The preceding couple of hours is a faithful reproduction of the book which doesn’t always translate into a particularly interesting piece of theatre.

 

 

We meet the characters: Jerome (George Watkins), his banker chum George (James Bradshaw) and the eccentric Harris (Sean Rigby) discussing their various, real and imagined ailments; the three actors quickly and neatly establishing the personalities of the odd trio. While none of them can decide quite what they are suffering from, they all agree that it has been brought on by overwork. A change of scene is what is needed. Sean Cavanagh’s authentically detailed set provides this by cleverly opening up from its Edwardian Kensington apartment into a nostalgic backdrop of the Thames riverbank. The three friends then cram themselves into a boat that is far too small for comfort (especially for the week-long cruise they are embarking on). It’s a good job their canine companion is imagined – its presence represented by sound alone.

We also meet some interesting and colourful characters along the way (lockkeepers, country-bumpkins, pub-locals, boastful fishermen), all played in turn by the three men in the boat. The technique allows for touches of farcical humour, and thanks to the performers’ versatility and swift shapeshifting, we are never confused. Director Joe Harmston relies on the device too much, however, diluting the dramatic impact. The narrative works best when the three men are just being themselves, and we are afforded personal access to their close-knit camaraderie. Yes, tempers occasionally fray but Watkins, Bradshaw and Rigby never let us forget the deep-rooted sense of loyalty and companionship that true friendship offers. The second act strongly reinforces that underlying message.

“To friendship and loyalty” they toast in the final moments. The tone shifts into a minor key as the hum of warplanes drifts from the horizon. It is a fleeting and poignant footnote. But overall, “Three Men in a Boat” is as comforting as a gently meandering tributary. It won’t rock the boat too much as it drifts along on its stream of witty dialogue pleasantly enough. Some of us might need something more challenging, but we all need every now and then the refreshing and easy-going escapism that this show has to offer. And the Mill at Sonning is the perfect setting for it. As Jerome K. Jerome writes in the book; ‘… it is the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river… more like a stage village’. You won’t be swept away, but it’s definitely worth getting on board.

 


THREE MEN IN A BOAT at The Mill at Sonning

Reviewed on 15th June 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Andreas Lambis

 

 


 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

CALENDAR GIRLS | ★★★★ | April 2024
HIGH SOCIETY | ★★★★ | December 2023
IT’S HER TURN NOW | ★★★ | October 2023
GYPSY | ★★★★★ | June 2023
TOP HAT | ★★★★ | November 2022
BAREFOOT IN THE PARK | ★★★★ | July 2022

THREE MEN IN A BOAT

THREE MEN IN A BOAT

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page