As Kiss of the Spider Woman prepares to arrive at Mayflower Studios on 2 June, the cast reveals what it’s like to bring this electrifying revival to the stage.
At the centre of the story are two men sharing a prison cell, characters who, at first glance, couldn’t be more different. As George Blagden, who plays Valentin, explains, their relationship evolves in unexpected and profound ways:
It’s essentially about these two men who are imprisoned in 1970s Buenos Aires and how they change one another through the course of sharing a cell. It’s all about escapism and dealing with suffering in the best, most magical way possible.”
For Fabian Soto Pacheco, who plays Molina, that sense of escapism is at the heart of the piece:
Molina escapes the reality of being in prison by re‑telling and re‑living the movies that Aurora, a spectacular actress who is Molina’s biggest obsession, has starred in. It is also a story that has proven to be timeless – it deals with love being more powerful than hate in the face of political injustice.
That emotional depth is something the cast return to again and again, describing the production as a story that blends political tension with intimacy and compassion. For Anna‑Jane Casey, who plays Aurora and the Spider Woman, it’s the humanity at the centre of the show that resonates most:
This is a great, beautiful, political piece of drama underneath, with songs on top. Audiences are going to get full-out numbers with dancing and singing, along with an amazingly compassionate tale about two men who are finding a friendship amidst the most awful of circumstances.
While the narrative is rooted in darkness, the production is far from restrained. Fabian highlights Kander and Ebb’s score as a major part of that contrast, combining theatrical flair with distinctive musical influences:
It’s dramatic, it’s striking and it has so many great songs. It has all the brilliance of the duo’s music and lyrics, but infused with Latin flavours and rhythms.
Anna‑Jane describes how the production shifts between the bleakness of the prison and moments of heightened theatricality:
Everyone else is in prison‑wear and I’m in some incredible corseted outfits that are reminiscent of that 1940s age of cinema… There’s an explosion of beautiful, bright colours and excitement.
This revival also marks a rare opportunity for audiences to rediscover a show that hasn’t been widely seen in the UK for decades. For George, part of the excitement lies in how this new version reshapes the scale of the piece:
It’s the first major revival in the UK since 1992. Taking that big, expansive musical setting that it was in the 90s into this intimate space – I hope the effect will be that the audience feel like they’re right there in the prison cell with Molina and Valentin.
For the company, being part of this revival carries real significance. Fabian reflects on the experience of joining such an established and respected team:
It’s the biggest honour. These are people who I’ve wanted to work with for a long time, and to be trusted by them with a character like this is unbelievable.
That sense of pride is shared across the cast, with Anna‑Jane describing the production as a rare and meaningful opportunity:
To be asked to be involved in this incredible production… with the most amazing creative team is just a dream. I am honoured and thrilled.
Ultimately, Kiss of the Spider Woman is shaped by its contrasts – intimacy and spectacle, reality and fantasy. As Anna-Jane puts it:
There’ll be tears, there’ll be laughter and there’ll be beauty.
I think there should be something for everyone.
