South Pacific

This is a show which seems to be experiencing a revival after a few years during which it became something of a rarity.   It needs a strong male chorus and, sadly, this may be the difficulty for some societies but York have overcome any such problem by drafting in some of the older members of their Youth section.  If anything, the result is that some appeared a little young to have seen active service but who is to say that the Seabees on whom the story is based were actually any older?  What was so encouraging was to see how by progressing to the parent company they provided a perfect illustration of the benefits of the establishment of the junior group.

As if to prove the point beyond doubt, the role of Joe Cable was shared between two young men who had similarly divided the role of Valjean in the Youth production of “Les Miserables” a few months ago and Scott Goncalves (on the night I attended) made an excellent job of it. His delivery of his libretto and his songs was first rate with an appropriate amount of innocence at times, yet still showing the frustration which leads to the views he expresses in “Carefully taught”.  It was good to see Rachael Wilkinson, a regular with the Society for several years, at last being rewarded with the leading part and she made an excellent Nellie, another character somewhat puzzled by the constraints which conventions of that time sought to place on her private life.  Her “cock-eyed optimism” enabled her to shine throughout the evening.  Rosy Rowley made an impressive Bloody Mary, full of fun yet always determined to get the better of the American visitors to her “special island”.  Did Cable feel unable to marry her daughter Liat (a pleasing cameo by Maisie Poskitt) because of the racialist issue or through a fear of his prospective mother-in-law?  As Emile, Richard Blackburn made an impressive character with an unfaltering and credible French accent throughout.

The show does not require the extent of choreography which others might, the ballet sequences of the show’s predecessors (Oklahoma! and Carousel) never having been a feature of this show, but I must confess to a little disappointment that in this production such work as there was appeared less stylised than I had expected. Scenery worked well and costumes and wigs were of the high standard which this Society always achieves. Congratulations are also due to all those responsible for ensuring that the composer’s name is correctly spelled everywhere – sadly, not always the case with Richard Rodgers.

This was the last major production before the theatre closed for refurbishment and the Society was able to ensure that the curtain went down on a high note. It is due to re-open in time for the pantomime season when the cry “there is nothing like a Dame” will be heard in quite a different context.    

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