Tough talking TV cop Adrian Dunbar transforms into a singing stage star as he makes his musical theatre debut in Kiss Me, Kate.
The Line of Duty actor, who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings in the BBC1 drama, features in a new trailer for the musical alongside Broadway legend and Tony award winner Stephanie J. Black, dressed smartly in a black suit and tie, as the pair laud the ‘sophisticated and hilarious show.’
He stars as Fred Graham, the theatre director, producer and leading man who clashes with his leading lady and ex-wife Lilli Vanessi on and off stage of his latest production – the musical version of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
As Adrian and Stephanie state in the trailer, while in character, the show is ‘a love story about two people who hate each other’ set to a soundtrack by legendary US composer Cole Porter.
The beloved comedy farce, which first ran on Broadway in 1948, is returning to London this summer for a 15-week run at the Barbican Theatre, running from June 4 to September 14 and is directed by Bartlett Sher, who has previously helmed The King and I and To Kill A Mockingbird.
Tough talking TV cop Adrian Dunbar transforms into a singing stage star as he makes his musical theatre debut in Kiss Me, Kate (pictured with co-star Stephanie J. Black)
The actor is best known for playing Superintendent Ted Hastings in smash hit drama Line Of Duty (pictured in charater)
Speaking about his latest role, Adrian, 65, says: ‘I’m so delighted to be returning to the stage this summer to my spiritual home at the Barbican – where I started my career at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama – especially in this Cole Porter classic with the wonderful creative team including Bart Sher and Stephanie J. Block.
‘Summer 2024 just got a lot brighter.’
Stephanie, 51, added: ‘I cannot wait to dive into this timeless classic and put a fresh stamp on it alongside the incredible Adrian Dunbar.
‘Mark my words, this Kiss Me, Kate will most definitely not be just ‘another openin’, another show’.’
Northern Irishman Adrian has a huge passion for music and has performed inside intimate venues with his band, as well as during talk show appearances.
He incorporated singing in his ITV cop drama Ridley, in which he plays a retired detective inspector and part-time jazz singer, and he’s previously spoken about a desire to release an album.
Speaking in 2019, he said: ‘I’m hoping to do something in the recording studio this year and I’ve had a couple of approaches about doing things,’ said Dunbar.
‘I don’t know what I’m going to do – it might be interesting to write a few songs or something – but definitely I’m going to do something. I was in bands many years ago, so that’s where it started. I played in bands, sang backing vocals and all the rest of it.
Adrian features in a new trailer for the musical alongside Broadway legend and Tony award winner Stephanie J. Black, dressed smartly in a black suit and tie, as the pair laud the ‘sophisticated and hilarious show.’
As Adrian and Stephanie state in the trailer, while in character, the show is ‘a love story about two people who hate each other’ set to a soundtrack by legendary US composer Cole Porter
He incorporated singing in his ITV cop drama Ridley, in which he plays a retired detective inspector and part-time jazz singer, and he’s previously spoken about a desire to release an album (pictured)
That was always something that was there and I just never got a chance to do it.’
Adrian added: ‘I started acting and that went away and you focus on other things, but I’ve always kept it going and I’ve always done gigs with friends of mine, a lot of jazz gigs in Ronnie Scott’s and stuff like that over the years.’
A new album is likely to be more forthcoming than a seventh series of Line of Duty after co-star Martin Compston dashed hopes the series could return.
He said: ‘Genuinely, there’s no plans at all. We all love each other more than just colleagues now, they’re some of my dearest friends, and we’d all love to work together at some point, but there’s no plans.’
He added: ‘I don’t think Jed [Mercurio, the show’s creator] would ever write it for the sake of writing it, it would have to be with a story. We went out on such a high in terms of [viewing] figures; maybe it’s the best way to leave it. I know that’s probably not what people want to hear.’
The beloved comedy farce, which first ran on Broadway in 1948, is returning to London this summer for a 15-week run at the Barbican Theatre, running from June 4 to September 14