Review Roundup: KISS ME, KATE at the Old Vic - All the Reviews!

Sam Marlowe of theartsdesk.com writes:  Cole Porter’s musical spin on Shakespeare demands the fluidity, fizz and acidity of champagne. In Trevor Nunn’s revival, which transfers to London after a successful run in Chichester, it’s more like gelato. It has sweetness, and a rich abundance of detail, but it’s also thick, cloying, and somewhat bland. There’s plenty of stagey pizzazz on display, but it too often feels strained and soulless. The production lingers when it should zing, and despite some fine song and dance, it never conjures either the sexual heat or the showbiz buzz that should set it sparkling.

Ian Shuttleworth of FT.com says: Trevor Nunn’s revival is packed with talent, from the statuesque and titanium-lunged Hannah Waddingham as diva Lilli, relishing every moment of furious coloratura, and Clive Rowe as one of a brace of intruding gangsters (the Old Vic’s gain is Hackney Empire’s loss, as the latter’s Christmas pantomime is once again this year without one of the best dames in the business). Other stalwarts include Adam Garcia and David Burt, and Jason Pennycooke, who here gets to take the lead on “Too Darn Hot”, deserves to be as widely known by the public at large as he is in the profession.

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