As you know, Mind the Blog is a Panto-Free Zone – but what if you want to find some alternative festive fare? Whether it’s family fun or something a little more grown-up, we have a selection of seasonal offerings (old and new) that might be of use to you.
‘Nothing but praise for the central performances’: KISS OF THE SPIDER MAN – Menier Chocolate Factory
While Puig’s masterpiece Kiss of the Spider Woman doesn’t quite work when fleshed into a physical entity, I am reminded of the unique and all-conquering power of the human imagination, and I am forever thankful that stories such as this are produced and continue to make people think, feel and dream.
‘Beautifully calibrated & ferociously emotive study of love & loneliness’: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN – Menier Chocolate Factory
Rivera and Baker’s adaptation does focus more on the personal than the political, so this does feel very much like the story of these two men rather than a searching insight into the LGBTQ experience in Latin America. But with that in mind, it is a painstakingly evocative study of the power – and limits – of love.
‘Trite themes explored with flat dialogue’: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN – Menier Chocolate Factory ★
Two prisoners are locked in an Argentinian cell. Hungry, tired, nauseous, bored out of their minds… this critic jots down a handy metaphor for the whole evening. Kiss of the Spider Woman has had many lives (a novel, a play, a film) but one wonders how it passed the high bar of the Menier for another outing.