Kiss Me Kate - April 2003


CAST LIST

 Lilli Vanessi - Vicki Hardy
Fred Graham - John Wetherall
Lois Lane - Colette Edwards
Bill Calhoun - Chris Wolverson
Harry Trevor - Colin Hunt
Gremio - Dave Storey
Hortensio/Paul - Mark Friedl
1st gangster - Roger Stokes
2nd gangster - Simon Goff
Harrison Howell - John Wiley
Hattie - Marina Bray
Ralph (Stage Manager) - Alf Rai

CHORUS

John Arnold, Mac Hammond, Tim Jones, Trevor Law, Danny Nutting, Jayne Crowther, Caroline Hammond, Alison Hardy, Sharon Johnson, Barbara King, Kate Osbome, Jenni Rullan, Anne Stokes

DANCERS

Kay Daren, Jackie Handley, Samantha King, Nikki Rai, Lydia Simpkiss, Faye Wilson, Janice Wolverson

PAGES

 Nathaniel.. Jack McEntee
Gregory....... Mark Bayliss
Phillip.... Sam Cottrell

KISS ME KATE

This week, as you will see, Willenhall Leisure Centre is transported to Baltimore for our version of the classic Cole Porter musical, a tuneful and light-hearted adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew". It proved to be Cole Porter's most successful Broadway Musical, chalking up a total of 1077 performances following its debut at the New Century Theatre, New York on 30th December 1948. The show opened in London on 8th March 1951 at the London Coliseum and enjoyed continued success.

The story centres around a gambling debt of supporting actor Bill Calhoun who confesses to his girlfriend. Lots Lane, that he has signed an IOU for the debt in the name of fellow actor Fred Graham. Two gangsters arrive to collect the debt and quickly get embroiled in the action. Fred Graham wants the gangsters to persuade his volatile co-star and ex-wife Lilli Vanessi to continue the run to Baltimore. Needless to say confusion ensues against the backdrop of the touring Shakespeare musical.