Kiss of the Spider Woman, Manuel Puig’s theatrical adaptation of his novel of the same name (which later inspired the Kander and Ebb musical), will return to the London stage in March. The new production, directed by Laurie Sansom, will play the Menier Chocolate Factory March 8 through May 5; opening night is set for March 21.
The new staging will feature a script by Allan Baker, who translated the play for its 1985 London premiere at the Bush Theatre (which starred Mark Rylance and Simon Callow), in collaboration with Oscar nominee José Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries).
Casting will be announced at a later date. The production will feature sets and costumes by Jon Bausor, lighting by Paul Anderson, and sound design by Philip Pinksy.
Darren Bagert, who had been aiming to bring the play to Broadway in the 2011–2012 season, will produce.
Set in a Buenos Aires prison, Kiss of the Spider Woman follows the relationship of two inmates who share a cell: a revolutionary and a window dresser, who dreams a fantasy world involving his favorite horror diva. The musical adaptation premiered in the West End in 1992, with its three headliners (Chita Rivera, Brent Carver, and Anthony Crivello) later reprising their performances on Broadway and earning Tony Awards.
