The King And I

Taking our seats we were swept into the atmosphere of Siam with the stage decoration and background music and audience anticipation was high. With almost 50 children taking part, roles were shared and we saw the Wednesday cast. From the very first moment it was obvious this was going to be a treat to the senses. A stage full of deck scrubbing sailors was the backdrop for the first iconic song Whistle A Happy Tune as Anna and her son, Louis arrive in Bangkok to begin her role as teacher to the royal children of the King Of Siam. Zoey Morgan as young Louis sung and acted very well and his mother, Anna was beautifully performed by Maddie Farquhar, a very mature portrayal indeed. Next we met The Kralahome played competently by Zara Steel. The star-crossed lovers were Tuptim, sweetly performed by Isla Nelson opposite Fergus Durston as a convincing Lun Tha. The King himself (Jason Pan) maintained just the right balance between arrogance and petulance - another mature performance. Meeting the royal wives and children was a treat and Stefi Curson as Lady Thiang showed real sensitivity while Sophie Garrigan as her son was a capable Prince Chulalongkorn. It was lovely to hear all those beautiful songs sung with emotion and acted so well. Congratulations to Maddie and Jason for a well executed Shall We Dance polka. But then the whole show was absolutely delightful, the smaller roles and young chorus were well rehearsed – and the principals excelled. The production team’s sensitive handling of the characters made this a perfect choice for this talented young company.

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