Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Directed by William Freebairn
A riot of colour, charisma, and controlled chaos fills Church Hill Theatre as the Edinburgh University Footlights present Kiss Me, Kate, a production that embraces Cole Porter’s musical with gusto while smoothing some of its rougher edges for a contemporary audience. Under the direction of William Freebairn, this staging leans into the show’s inherent theatricality, celebrating its backstage bedlam and romantic sparring with a confidence that belies the scale of the task. The result is a production that revels in its own excess, balancing slapstick, Shakespeare, and showbiz melodrama with a knowing wink.
The story follows divorced performers Lilli Vanessi and Fred Graham, cast opposite one another in a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Their offstage tensions bleed into their onstage roles, creating a volatile mix of passion, rivalry, and comic misadventure. Meanwhile, nightclub singer Lois Lane and her hapless boyfriend Bill Calhoun add their own complications, especially when Bill’s gambling debts bring two gangsters into the company’s orbit. The musical within a musical structure allows the production to shift between Shakespearean pastiche and backstage farce, each world feeding the other’s escalating chaos.
At the centre of the production are Nina Birbeck (a reoccurring name of brilliance across these grassroots productions) and Ewan Robertson, whose performances as Lilli and Fred anchor the evening with vocal power and sharp comedic instincts. Birbeck’s command of Porter’s demanding score is remarkable, her voice cutting cleanly through the ensemble with clarity and emotional bite. Robertson matches her with a performance full of swagger and charm, his accent work and vocal agility adding polish to a role that demands both bravado and vulnerability. Together they generate the kind of combustible chemistry that keeps the show’s romantic tug of war compelling.
The choreography and movement from Lyss Britton and Caitlin Visser makes Kiss Me, Kate driven by a sense of organised mayhem, with the Edinburgh University Footlights leaning into the show’s backstage frenzy and Shakespearean playfulness. The ensemble work is crisp, energetic, and full of personality, with dancers filling the stage in tightly coordinated patterns that keep the momentum high. Numbers such as the show‑within‑a‑show sequences and spectacularly imagined Too Darn Hot burst with physical comedy and rhythmic precision, while the larger company routines showcase a confident command of musical theatre vocabulary. The movement direction ensures that even the smallest gestures feed into character and story, allowing the chaos of rehearsal rooms, dressing areas, and onstage mishaps to feel purposeful rather than cluttered. It is choreography that understands the show’s dual identity, shifting seamlessly between heightened theatricality and sly backstage realism.
The gangster duo, played by Bella Cripwell and Christiana Doe, lean into broad comedy with enthusiasm, their scenes landing with a gleeful silliness that suits the show’s heightened tone. The ensemble, a dozen strong, handle the choreography with commitment, filling the stage with movement even when the costuming offers limited individuality. Around them, the supporting cast shine in roles that require precision and playfulness. Elham Khosravipour brings a feline confidence to Lois Lane, while Dan J Bryant’s Bill Calhoun struts through the production with raffish energy.
The design, particularly Lily Goodchild’s lighting, and setting contribute significantly to the production’s charm, creating a visual world that supports both the musical’s glamour and its rough‑and‑ready theatrical underbelly. The set evokes the layered spaces of a touring company, with costumes, props, and scenery bleeding into one another in a way that reinforces the show’s meta‑theatrical structure. Lighting choices help delineate the boundaries between the Shakespearean performance and the backstage narrative, bathing the Shrew scenes in warm, stylised tones while keeping the offstage moments sharper and more grounded. You see much of the sharpness and thought in Eloise Robertson’s costuming, which embraces bold colour and period flair, going for the Dior ‘New Look’ and giving the cast a vibrant palette that enhances the musical’s comedic tone. Together, the design elements create a cohesive environment that feels bustling, playful, and perfectly attuned to the production’s lively spirit.
Musically the production is robust, with Porter’s score delivered with warmth and precision. The orchestra supports the cast without overwhelming them, allowing the vocal performances to shine. Freebairn’s direction embraces the show’s contradictions, acknowledging its dated elements while refusing to flatten its exuberance. The pacing occasionally stretches, a natural consequence of the musical’s length and structural sprawl, but the energy rarely dips for long. What makes this Kiss Me, Kate stand out is its wholehearted embrace of theatrical joy. It is a production that understands the value of spectacle, silliness, and sincerity, delivering a night of musical theatre that feels both nostalgic and freshly energised. The Footlights take on a formidable classic and emerge full of triumphant gumption, offering Edinburgh an evening of wit, warmth, and unabashed entertainment.
Full of Gumption and Showbiz
Kiss Me, Kate runs at Church Hill Theatre until February 14h
Running time – Two hours and fifteen minutes with one interval
Picture Credit – Andrew Morris
Review by Dominic Corr (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Editor for Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected publications such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Scotsman, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, The Wee Review and Edinburgh Guide. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic’s Award for Theatre Scotland (CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
