Kiss Of The Spider Woman
Director Geraldine Brophy believes that KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is topical and timely theatre: a play that “asks us to
review our opinions and position in an increasingly complex political world”. Manuel Puig’s story of two men forming an
unlikely friendship when forced to share a cell is a resonant story of love, longing and liberation.
Martyn Wood makes his Court debut as Valentin, a young activist imprisoned for opposing the government. Keith Adams
plays Molina, a middle-aged homosexual jailed by the same regime. To pass the time, Molina recounts stories of classic
films; creating escapist fantasies into which Valentin is gradually drawn.
Brophy believes at its heart KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is a love story. “The power of the play is the extraordinary
relationship that changes these two people forever. Whatever your politics or sexuality, it is their humanity that
creates an unforgettable theatrical experience”.
The Forge’s resident designer Julian Southgate makes his Court One design debut for KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN and has
created a setting that could as easily be Guantanamo Bay as Puig’s own 1976 Argentina. “Despite the liberation our
society claims, wrongful persecution and imprisonment is still a current global issue”, says Brophy. “This story of
longing for freedom – both political and sexual - could occur anywhere and any time. It is theatre of the now.”
The story behind KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is as extraordinary as the play itself. Puig wrote the book in exile, speaking
out as a homosexual against the right-wing Argentinean dictatorship. “Puig risked as much as his characters in writing
this remarkable piece” says Brophy. The novel received considerable acclaim and was made into an Oscar-winning film, an
award-winning musical and adapted by Puig himself for the stage (translated by Allan Baker).
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN incorporates video projection to blur the line between fantasy and reality in the play. “At the
time voiceover was new in theatre - we took that concept and updated it” Brophy explains. University of Canterbury Fine
Arts student Andrew Todd filmed the sequences in “as film noir a style as possible” to draw the audience into the
dream-world the two men create.
The Court is proud to present thought-provoking theatre and invites audiences to enjoy this classic drama. KISS OF THE
SPIDER WOMAN plays from 18 October until 15 November.
Ends