It Felt Like a Kiss
| It Felt Like a Kiss | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Written by | |
| Date premiered | 2 July 2009 |
| Place premiered | Manchester International Festival |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | American power |
| Genre | Immersive theatre |
It Felt Like a Kiss is an immersive theatre production, first performed between 2 and 19 July 2009 as part of the second Manchester International Festival, co-produced with the BBC. Themed on "how power really works in the world", it is a collaboration between film-maker Adam Curtis and theatre company Punchdrunk, with original music composed by Damon Albarn and performed by the Kronos Quartet.
Visitors wandered among sets and watched a short film created from archival footage, weaving together multiple stories about American international and cultural influence beginning in the year 1959, touching on the Cold War, Rock Hudson and Doris Day, Lou Reed, Saddam Hussein, Lee Harvey Oswald, and the AIDS epidemic.
The title is taken from The Crystals' 1962 song "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)", written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King.