If you were fortunate to see the wonderful new production of Kiss Me, Kate at the Barbican this summer, you will have enjoyed the amazing Cole Porter arrangements, stunning theatrical setting on a large revolve, wonderful energy and precision of the choreography, and the charismatic performances of Adrian Dunbar and Stephanie J Block as Fred Graham and his former wife, Lilli Vanessa. Producers Trafalgar Entertainment captured the show on film and are now releasing it in over 500 screens around the UK this month. It is a wonderful opportunity to see the show again or catch it for the first time if you missed it. What’s more, the clever editing integrates separately shot close ups to provide a more intimate insight into the relationship between the two central characters without losing the delightful theatricality of the staging and the sense of watching a live performance in a theatre. The result is a real treat and a lasting record of an excellent production.

Dunbar and Block play the former married couple of stage actors reunited in Baltimore to try and save a failing US tour of The Taming of the Shrew. The chemistry between them is a joy to watch as they bicker and fight but show flickers of remaining affection despite their extra marital dalliances. Block has a magnificent voice and a large than life personality which fits perfectly with the rebellious flirtatious ex-wife delivering the “I hate men” and “I am ashamed” with just enough irony to tell us that she neither hates men nor is ashamed of being a woman. It brings the dated 1948 sentiments into a more modern context. Dunbar has bags of charisma and stage presence, and smoothly transitions from actor/producer Fred Graham to the character in the play within the play, Petruchio, and at times addresses the audience directly as he breaks the fourth wall. Indeed, the meta-theatre elements of this musical are its greatest virtue and the onstage/off stage feuds (like Noises Off), the backstage gossip and relationships and the theatrical jokes are all beautifully landed in this production. The film adds to this with shots in the pit of the musical director and the audience .

To launch the film, the producers staged an exclusive preview event at the lovely Chiswick Cinema in West London, hosted by Dame Arlene Philips, and with appearances from Adrian Dunbar, Charlie Stemp (Bill Calhoun), Georgina Onuorah (Lois Lane), and choreographer Anthony Van Laast . It provided a charming insight into the process of staging a West End musical and the joy that the company shared in performing eight shows a week for thirteen weeks.

Anthony Van Laast explained that he had to be persuaded to take on the title but was convinced by the re-imagination of the show with new orchestrations, and a fresh interpretation which addressed the misogyny of the original in the battle of the sexes. He went on to explain he loved the collaborative process of rehearsals with talented cast members and getting their input into the choreography and letting them try things, while hinting that in the end his wishes prevailed! He noted that, as there was no revolve in the rehearsal room, there was an important lesson on how to step on and off the moving stage!

Charlie Stemp described the adrenalin rush of performing in musical theatre but also revealed his delight in teasing the rest of the cast. He described standing in the wings during the wonderful musical routine ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’, trying to make the MD and performers Nigel Lindsay and Hammed Animashaun corpse by his offstage behaviour. He and Georgina, who plays opposite him, recalled the laughter they had offstage with his playful antics. Sadly, the film does not catch a glimpse of Stemp’s offstage messing about! Stemp also suggested that as a musical theatre performer, he does not do subtlety so in filming the production, he played it just the same .

Georgina Onuorah described the challenges of performing seven-minute routines like her brilliant number ‘Always True To You In My Fashion’ and the need to take care of yourself during the run, but also the recalled one performance when she got lost in the lyrics and had to be prompted by the MD!

Adrian Dunbar charmed the audience with his dry humour and reflections. He shared how he had to be persuaded to take on the role by producer Howard Panter, over bottles of champagne as he was “not a natural fit” with musicals. In response to a question from the audience, he explained was delighted by proving the cynics wrong by the rave reviews for his performance. He described the challenges of the show and a first act in which he is hardly off stage, but the joy of the interplay with his co-star, Stephanie J Block, and how they set up the gags for each other. The film captures the small asides and looks of those moments in a way a live performance might miss. He added that in those close-up capture inserts, he went into TV mode in his performance. He joked that his favourite moments were the last song as the show would soon be over but also reflected that the real secret of the show’s success was the sense of family within the company, the support system around them and the buzz from the audience at the end. He ended by saying it was “the best show I have ever done” though we were not sure whether Joseph, Mary and the wee donkey would agree.

This is the third big West End musical by Trafalgar Entertainment to be captured for cinema release, bringing fabulous Broadway female stars to a wider UK audience. Kelli O’Hara was wonderful as Anna in The King and I, Sutton Foster was stunning as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes and now Stephanie J Block joins them. Their experience in capturing these productions grows with each film and whether you were able to see the original live show or not, we are certain you will enjoy seeing this wonderful film and truly appreciate Cole Porter’s timeless music.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Nick Wayne

The cinema showings of Kiss Me, Kate begin on 17 November, with a list of participating cinemas here.