Review: EU Footlights' Kiss Me, Kate

Edinburgh University Footlights, Kiss Me, Kate

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★.5

On Thursday night, we were treated to ‘another op’nin’ of another show’ of the Edinburgh University Footlights’ production of Kiss Me, Kate at Church Hill Theatre, and what a show it was! Cole Porter’s 1948 musical based on The Taming of the Shrew was brought alive by an incredibly talented cast, band and crew, with almost too many standout moments to name. Every aspect of the production delivered, and director William Freebairn should be extremely proud of how his vision came to life.

The show was visually delicious to look at, with Lily Goodchild’s simple yet striking lighting design allowing the performers to shine. Danby Lee and Charlie Smith’s set design ingeniously allowed the action to move between “onstage” and “backstage” moments (all while on the same stage), with the curtains closing in front of the Padua set and cleverly-placed costume rails forming adjoining dressing rooms for the stars of the show. Eloise Robertson’s brightly coloured costumes brought a suitable touch of whimsical garishness to the Shakespeare of it all, from tight-fitting velvet trousers to charmingly ruched skirts. The production made full use of the show-within-a-show device, interacting with the band who, under the musical direction of Emily Smith and Josh Chamberlain, deftly brought to life Porter’s varied score, which draws on a range of musical influences, from Verdi’s operas, to the Viennese Waltz, to jazz and blues.

The most dazzling element of the show was, undoubtedly, Lyss Britton and Caitlin Visser’s fabulous choreography, delivered flawlessly by the entire cast, who moved with ease from quaint country dances, to tap numbers, to a cabaret-style routine. Credit must be given to Aaron Venter’s performance of the opening number of Act Two, ‘Too Darn Hot’, which (despite issues with his mic) turned out to be one of the most memorable numbers, even if it felt somewhat incongruous with the plot. Every member of the cast gave their all for the entire show, and special mention must be given to Elham Khosravipour and Dan J. Bryant, who charmed as Lois and Bill. Bella Cripwell and Christiana Doe were outrageously funny as the gangster duo, with ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’ providing a large proportion of the many laugh-out-loud moments – the audience couldn’t get enough (even after the three encores!). The absolute standout performances of the night had to be Nina Birbeck and Ewan Robertson as Lilli and Fred, two powerhouses of singing and acting who were perfectly matched, stealing the show as the divorced couple whose passionate feelings clearly lingered. Robertson’s vocals wonderfully suit the old-Broadway style of the show, with his astounding opt-up in ‘Were Thine That Special Face’ delivered with seeming ease. Birbeck’s Lilli was at times delightfully sharp and at others touchingly sincere, versatility evident in her two standout numbers, the heartrending ‘So In Love’ and the gutsy ‘I Hate Men’.

Despite the dance break in every song, characteristic of that era of Broadway, there was never a dull moment in the show, with something or someone to grab your attention at all times. The slightly uncomfortable misogyny of the plot is hard to ignore, but we’ll have to blame Shakespeare for that – and it is toned down from the original play, if you can believe it! All in all, the entire production of Kiss Me, Kate came together to create a spectacular experience from start to finish, with not a shrew in sight.