Peter Davison joins cast of Kiss Me, Kate revival at the Barbican

Peter Davison has joined the cast of the upcoming revival of Kiss Me, Kate, led by Stephanie J Block and Adrian Dunbar.

Hailed as Cole Porter’s greatest musical comedy, the production is set for a 15-week run at the Barbican Theatre starting on 4 June 2024, with a press night scheduled for 18 June, concluding on 14 September. Tickets are on sale now.

The cast for the production features Dunbar, who became a fan favourite following his work in Line of Duty, in his musical theatre debut as Fred Graham/Petruchio. Joining him is Tony Award winner Block, known for her appearances in Into the Woods, The Cher Show and 9 to 5, making her West End debut as Lilli Vanessi/Katharine.

Also appearing are Charlie Stemp (Crazy for You) as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio, while Georgina Onuorah (The Wizard of Oz) will play Lois Lane/Bianca, alongside two WhatsOnStage Award-winners – Nigel Lindsay (An Enemy of the People) and Hammed Animashaun (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) who play the famous gangster pairing in the show.

Peter Davison (Dr Who) will take on the role of the General. He said today: “So excited to be working with the inestimable Bartlett Sher in his new production of Kiss Me, Kate at the Barbican, alongside the rest of this brilliant cast. A summer to look forward to. When do we start?”

Directed in a new production by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher and featuring a company of 50 (including a full-scale orchestra), the musical showcases the work of Cole Porter, with the book by Sam and Bella Spewack. Notably, this revival reunites producing team members behind successful shows such as Anything Goes and A Strange Loop, both at the Barbican.

The creative team includes Sher as the director, Anthony Van Laast as the choreographer, Michael Yeargan as the set designer, Catherine Zuber as the costume designer, Donald Holder as the lighting designer, Adam Fisher as the sound designer, and Stephen Ridley as the music supervisor. Casting is by Serena Hill.

The show follows onstage and off-stage antics of a theatre company attempting to produce a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. It includes numbers such as “Another Op’nin’, Another Show”, “Too Darn Hot”, “Tom, Dick or Harry” and “Brush Up Your Shakespeare”.

Tickets are on sale now.

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