Hannah Waddingham to Star in Kiss Me, Kate at Chichester Festival Theatre

Hannah Waddingham is set to star in the previously announced Trevor Nunn-directed revival of Kiss Me, Kate. The production will play at the Chicester Festival beginning June 18 through September 1.

Joining Waddingham as Lilli/Kate are Adam Garcia (Grease, Saturday Night Fever) as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio, Alex Bourne (We Will Rock You, Chicago) as Fred Graham/Petruchio, David Burt (Crazy For You, The Woman in White) as Gangster 1 and Clive Rowe (The Ladykillers, The Fantasticks) as Gangster 2.

Kiss Me, Kate, the classic musical, is a show within a show, bringing together the worlds of gun-toting gangsters, sparring actors and Shakespeare’s original characters from The Taming of the Shrew.

Waddingham earned an Olivier Award nomination for her performance of The Lady of the Lake in the West End production of Spamalot. She later made her Broadway debut in the role, and won a Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Favorite Replacement. Her other West End credits include Chesty Prospects in Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens, Suzanne Valadon in Lautrec, Rizzo in Grease and Satan in Tonight’s the Night.

Kiss Me, Kate features music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Sam and Bella Spewack.