Kiss Of The Spider Woman

Leicester’s Curve Theatre brings a brand new production of Kiss of the Spider Woman to Bristol, the musical adaptation of Manuel Puig’s novel and the later film adaptation. Originally opening on Broadway to huge acclaim, the show went on to win seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score. With music and lyrics by legendary duo Kander and Ebb, the creators behind Cabaret and Chicago, this new production directed by Paul Foster arrives with big expectations and honestly delivers something really special.

Set in an Argentinian prison during a time of violent political oppression and restrictions on human rights, the story follows Molina (Fabian Soto Pacheco), a flamboyant window dresser imprisoned for his sexuality, and Valentin (George Blagden), a Marxist revolutionary jailed for his political beliefs. Forced to share a cell, the two initially clash, but slowly form an unexpected and deeply emotional connection.

Molina survives prison life by escaping into the movies playing out in his head. Through his imagination we are introduced to Aurora, the glamorous and dangerous Spider Woman, played by Anna-Jane Casey. As conditions inside the prison worsen, the line between fantasy and reality starts to blur, creating moments that are visually stunning, emotional and at times deeply unsettling.

You might wonder how such a big stage musical could adapt to a theatre like the Bristol Old Vic, but somehow it still felt like witnessing a huge production. The set design was fairly simple, yet it gave such a strong sense of space and time. It allowed room for imagination whilst still clearly separating scene from scene and song from song.

When Molina and Valentin interacted, the lighting often became brighter and more intimate, drawing all your attention towards them and their growing relationship. Then Aurora would appear and suddenly we were transported somewhere completely different. Sometimes glamorous and vibrant, filled with colour, sparkle and fantasy, and other times dark, mysterious and dangerous. You really feel the same escapism Molina feels. You’re pulled directly into the world he’s created.

Anna-Jane Casey is captivating throughout and the costumes are absolutely stunning. As the story progresses, Aurora’s costumes and dance numbers become bigger, bolder and darker, mirroring the rising tension of the story itself.
Act One is definitely the longer half, but it needs to be. It gives us time to understand the characters, why they are there and who they were before prison. At the same time, the relationship between Molina and Valentin slowly develops alongside this imaginative, glamorous world Molina creates to survive. The show constantly switches between the brutality and lack of humanity inside the prison and these bright, glittering moments of escapism.

Underneath it all there’s this growing sense of tension and mystery. Part of it comes from the prison guard pressuring Molina to get information from Valentin, whilst at the same time Aurora slowly transforms into the Spider Woman herself. Molina knows that giving into her kiss means death, and that feeling hangs over the whole story as the climax slowly builds.

The performances are honestly incredible. Fabian Soto Pacheco brings so much warmth, humour and vulnerability to Molina that you instantly connect with him. George Blagden gives Valentin this quiet intensity that balances everything perfectly. Watching their relationship deepen throughout the show adds another emotional layer entirely.

I was particularly moved by one of the earlier songs, Dear One, performed by the two men alongside Molina’s mother and Valentin’s love interest Marta. It perfectly captured the grief and loneliness of the people left outside prison trying to continue their lives whilst carrying the loss of the people they love. Followed later was, You Could Never Shame Me. I genuinely think any parent in that audience would have struggled not to cry during that moment.

By the end of Act One, it felt like I knew these characters completely. Not just who they are now, but who they were before prison too. That’s what makes you so emotionally invested going into the second act.

Act Two is shorter, darker and more intense. The stage effects become bigger, the tension rises and everything starts moving towards its breaking point. Will Molina betray Valentin? Will he fall into the Spider Woman’s trap? Will Valentin ever see Marta again? Will Molina ever see his mother?

Aurora’s full transformation into the Spider Woman is genuinely terrifying at times, and again that comes down to Anna-Jane Casey’s performance. She completely commands the stage whenever she appears.

Throughout the whole show I never felt like I was simply watching musical theatre. I felt completely transported by the story and all the performances. And the credit for that doesn’t just belong to the main cast, but to the entire ensemble, because together they are what make the whole world of the show come alive.?The intimacy between Molina and Valentin, the way their relationship unfolds right in front of you, makes everything feel incredibly real and human.
And then the ending arrives and somehow leaves you with hope, heartbreak and uncertainty all at once.
I genuinely cannot shout about, push or recommend this show enough. Whether you live nearby or want to make a trip out of it, it is worth it. 1000 times worth it.

As I looked around the theatre, I kept asking myself, why aren’t all these seats taken? Where is the younger generation? Why aren’t more people spending their Saturday nights watching beautiful and wonderful art being created right in front of them? Somewhere you can simply watch and get completely lost in a story. For 2 hours you are not stuck to your phone, not scrolling, not distracted by another screen.

A blockbuster cinema ticket costs just as much these days, so cost can’t really be the thing stopping us anymore. Stopping you, if you’re reading this. Stopping younger people from coming and experiencing something like this.

So may this review also be a reminder that art and emotion aren’t only found through TV shows, films or your favourite music artists. There are so many more stories out there being told. So many journeys you can be taken on. So much beauty to sit and witness.

In a world where we struggle to stay present, where our thoughts barely get the chance to wander and our imagination rarely gets space to run wild anymore, chose theatre to be one of the places where you can truly escape into something.
Let the Spiderwoman catch you in her webb!