South Pacific

This very popular musical certainly found great favour with the audience and the applause at the end of the show was richly deserved. The excellent set put one in the feel of the Pacific with very slick scene changes especially into the office which is so often a problem.  The props looked good giving an overall feeling of the era and location and with a good lighting plot and sound effects which all added to the realism, COS was on to a winner.  In the lighting department I would like to have seen the island picked out with some atmospheric light during the beautiful number Bali Ha’i. The costumes looked appropriate and the make-up was adequate, with the children, Bloody Mary, and Liat all looking Polynesian.  Helen Fallowell (Nellie) was a joy to watch and hear. Her dancing, acting and singing were all excellent and her American accent was very good most of the time. (not an easy thing to maintain all the time). Mike Mackenzie was quite the best Emile de Becque I have ever seen, and I have seen a fair few professional and amateur!!  He was outstanding in every department and eminently watchable. Kevin Wort (Cable) maintained a commanding presence on stage (despite being a new comer to acting) and sang beautifully,  Regarding the casting of the children I thought their choices were ideal in Anna Hartley (Ngana) and Joseph Foxtrot (Jerome) who sang the opening number delightfully. David Johnson (Billis) and Kathy Stokes (Bloody Mary)  and all the named characters were proficient both in their singing and acting abilities and the ensemble were strong in support. Congratulations to John and  Brian for some excellent directing and standard of singing. The overture was superbly played and the way the cast used the stage during it was very special.  The show moved smoothly along telling the tale well with commendable accompaniment from the orchestra. This was a hugely enjoyable production.

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