Barbican Theatre, London

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If you are a fan of a ‘classic’ musical, this production of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate is for you. It stays true to the source material, instead of attempting to ‘update’ or re-contextualise the piece, whilst being clever to tackle a couple of the more outdated moments with subtlety and tack without losing the overall charm.

Written in 1948, it centres around director/producer/actor Fred Graham and his company of actors during a tour of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Following poor ticket sales, he’s been forced to ask his starlet ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi to take over the lead role. Throughout the two acts, Porter weaves and folds Shakespeare’s plot with his own. Directer Bartlett Sher’s previous ventures include The King and I and My Fair Lady, so a Cole Porter musical is safe in his hands. Though moments towards the end of Act One begin to drop in energy (more to do with the script than anything else), the overall experience of this production is a delightful spectacle.

Stephanie J. Block lends her exquisite tones to the role of Lilli Vanessi. She is a natural on stage; the ballad ‘So in Love’ is sung with stirring vulnerability, and ‘I Hate Men’ has a necessary gusto and humour. Adrian Dunbar has a smooth crooner’s voice which fits Porter’s score nicely, and though at times he is noticeably not as comfortable as veteran Block on stage, he works the crowd and delivers an enjoyable performance as Fred.

The supporting cast are scene-stealing in every sense throughout the show. Jack Butterworth as Paul confirms that his star is one to watch; his rendition of ‘Too Darn Hot’ opens the second act with sizzling energy and flair. Hammed Animashaun and Nigel Lindsay as gangsters who are eventually thrust upon the stage to sing ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’ – a duet which showcases Cole Porter’s token lyrical trope of endless rhyming lists, was always going to be the absolute highlight of the show with lines such as “Just declaim a few lines from Othello, and they’ll think you’re a hell of a fella.” From the moment they come in to threaten Fred at the beginning of Act One, their thick accents straight out of Bugsy Malone, brings energy to the more dialogue-heavy moments of the show.

Kiss Me, Kate is running until the 14^th September at the Barbican Theatre.