Review: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is a True Tour De Force at The Baxter Golden Arrow Studio

When you put two brilliant actors on stage for two hours, you're going to get magic - and that's exactly what the audience gets when they go to see KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. I'm so glad to have finally seen this production after it got postponed just before opening last year due to COVID-19. KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is an absolute treat for theatre lovers and the Baxter Theatre should be proud to present it.

The story revolves around two prisoners in a cell - one appears to be a romantic daydreamer and the other a political revolutionary. They have completely opposite views on life, causing conflict and tension between the two. However, they are all they have for company and they've clearly formed a bond of friendship and possibly even love.

I instantly warmed to Molina, beautifully portrayed by Wessel Pretorius. The character was so warm and nurturing, yet Pretorius slowly revealed the flaws, the insecurities and the pain in the character. I felt that Mbulelo Grootboom as Valentin took a little while to get going on stage, but once he found his rhythm, he showed us a character that was so full of heart, I wanted to cry.

The staging for KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is excellent. Set designer Wolf Britz has the pair on a raised platform square with the audience sitting on three sides. The floor of the platform is a grid and the pair have what looks like very little room to move - all adding to the discomfort of situation. Mannie Manim's lighting design and Brendan Jury's music heightens this feeling even more.

The only part I felt that let the production down was the way the voice overs were done. They didn't match the tone of the rest of the performance and just felt jarring. They weren't as organic and natural as the performances we were seeing on stage.

That aside, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is well worth going to see. The topics it deals with and the discussions had between the two characters are somehow just as relevant today as they were when Manuel Puig first wrote his novel in 1976.

Photo credit: Supplied

How To Get Tickets

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is on at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio until 26 March and tickets range between R170 and R200. Book your tickets on Quicket.