Kiss of the Spider Woman - The Musical at Cork Opera House

From the writers of ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Chicago’, Kiss of the Spider Woman is an enigmatic musical based on a novel by Manuel Puig. This thought provoking piece of musical theatre enjoyed runs in both the West End (1992) and Broadway (1993), winning seven Tony Awards including Best Musical in 1993. Kiss of the Spider Woman is a heart wrenching tale of courage, compassion and loyalty that will stay with you long after you have left the theatre.It tells the story of Luis Alberto Molina, a homosexual window dresser who finds himself in a Latin American prison serving an eight year sentence for corrupting a minor. He lives in a fantasy world to flee the torture, fear and humiliation of prison life. His fantasies turn mostly around movies, particularly around a vampy diva named Aurora. He loves her in all roles, but one: The Spider Woman who kills with her kiss.

During his third year in prison, a new man is brought into his cell: Valentin Arregui Paz, a Marxist revolutionary already in a bad state of health after torture. Luis cares for him and tells him of Aurora. After initially rejecting Luis’ offer of friendship, Valentin slowly starts warming to him and they form an unlikely bond amidst the horror of their hellish prison life. The two friends endure much together and when Valentin begs for Luis’ help one last time, his loyalty is put to the final test…