Kiss Me Kate

Kiss Me, Kate was the very first Tony Award winner for Best Musical in 1949. Written by Cole Porter in response to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! it firmly belongs to what I would describe as the golden era of musicals—an age of grand entertainment and post-war evenings filled with escapism. At just shy of three hours in length, it is no small undertaking, so I was thrilled to take my seat for ENOS’ opening night.

As “Another Op’nin,’ Another Show” began with its laid-back opening, gradually building to its full crescendo some six minutes later, it was clear the audience were in for a treat. The set design was thoughtfully executed, with movable brick-effect panels cleverly used to distinguish between the rehearsal space, two separate dressing areas, and the onstage performance setting. This versatility allowed the production to transition smoothly between scenes while maintaining a strong sense of place throughout. The appearance of Kate from a window high above the rear of the stage, added a clever touch to the overall space and perspective.

The sound quality was excellent, striking just the right balance between the ten-piece orchestra (ably led by Musical Director Bernard Soper) and the vocals on stage. The orchestra were outstanding throughout. There were a few moments where some cast members were not fully lit, but I’m sure this will have been addressed as the run continues. Costumes were good, Fred may have benefited from the addition of a hat for the show, it could also have served as a useful prop for Kate to knock off or for him to lose during one of their heated exchanges. There was some effective use of props. I particularly enjoyed the slow, choreographed use of brushes to open Act 2 for “Too Darn Hot”.

The choreography (by Victoria Jacobs) was skilfully and thoughtfully designed, balancing the varying levels of experience within the cast and working very well overall. Kiss Me, Kate contains complex musical arrangements alongside extended dance numbers, and the amount of work invested in these sequences was clearly evident.

There were several standout performances and strong vocals across the cast. Jasmine Catherine, as Hattie, opened the show brilliantly with a powerful rendition of “Another Op’nin, Another Show”. Act 2 began equally impressively, with William Hoban as Paul delivering a clear, confident, and thoroughly enjoyable performance of “Too Darn Hot”. I really enjoyed Richard McGreevy’s Harry/Baptista, getting some of the funniest Shakespeare lines over to the audience with excellent timing and with dead pan humour about his difficult daughter Katherine.

I felt that, on a few occasions, some of the Shakespeare dialogue set against the ongoing chaotic storyline, could have benefitted from a little more reaction/timing to firmly drive this home to the audience, but it was still very well done.

Edmund Ramsdale and Becky Pick were very funny as Man 1 and Man 2, commonly known as the Gangsters in the tale, topping it off with a very well delivered “Brush up your Shakespeare”, remaining in character throughout despite all the twists on Shakespeare titles in the lyrics of the song.

The pairings of the lead characters were well cast: Andrew Inglis, as gambler Bill Calhoun/Lucentio, who triggers the ensuing chaos over a gambling debt he signed in the name of Fred Graham, was very cooly played, as he tries to maintain his composure over the flirtatiousness of his love Lois Lane. Equally frustrated by his gambling habits, Ellie Mole delivered a wonderful Lois Lane/Bianca, maintaining a Betty Boop style voice, culminating in a fantastic “Always True to You (In My Fashion), where she drifted in and out of that voice each time that she saw that Bill was back in the room.

As Fred Graham/Petrucio, Jon Bennett’s vocals, including the tricky “Were Thine That Special Face,” and “Where Is the Life That Late I Led,” bravely delivering it whilst standing on a wooden table, were very well done, and Jon was the brunt of some very physical theatre from Kate during their bust ups.

Finally, as Lilli Vanessi/Kate, Niccy Mills was formidable throughout, with a beautiful “So in Love.” Cole Porter’s music requires the ability to drift from low to high notes, and back again throughout his work, and Niccy delivered this, and more, whilst at the same time remaining in character.

With a strong supporting cast, including Samantha Hawkins as Hortensio, Owen Ward as Gremio, and Robin Richardson as General Harrison-Howell, not to mention a beautiful “Cantiamo D’Amore,” from the company, this was an excellent production.

My congratulations and thanks to everyone at ENOS for another very enjoyable evening.

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