Kiss Me Kate

Line of Duty favourite, Adrian Dunbar, and Broadway legend, Stephanie J. Block star in the classic musical caper, Kiss me, Kate. Playing for a strictly limited run at the Barbican theatre, this madcap musical revives the original sound of Broadway and MGM for the London stage.

Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy could turn into a tragedy when bickering divorcées, Fred and Lilli, take to the stage! Weaving together the on-stage and off-stage lives of a theatre company as they navigate love, jealousy, and mistaken identities, the troupe’s adaptation of ‘Shrew’ is anything but tame.

The heated offstage sparrings become too darn hot for actor/director Fred Graham (Adrian Dunbar) and leading lady, Lilli Vanessi (Stephanie J. Block) and soon their arguments begin to boil over and spill on to the stage causing chaos on opening night. As the destructive duos onstage characters, Petruchio and Katherine, wage verbal and physical war on each other, the actors also prepare for battle as life imitates art, and Shakespeare's well-known figures and their 'real life' players delightfully intertwine. However, as the prolific playwright once penned ‘the course of true love never did run smooth,’ and the couple, despite their passionate fury, find themselves falling for each other once more. Will their new-found love story have a happy ending, or will it close early?

Featuring a Tony award winning score performed by a full-scale orchestra, this musical within a musical includes the iconic songs ‘Too Darn Hot,’ ‘So In Love,’ and ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare.’ Known for its clever writing, catchy tunes, and energetic dance numbers, this hilarious musical will brighten up your summer (even if it’s a typical British one).