The King and I

There were some beautiful painted elephants either side of the curtains and the sets and props themselves were lovely including the massive gong on the apron stage left.

Some of the scenes were played in front of the tabs allowing a smoother transition into scene changes which went well.

The lighting throughout the show was good but there was a problem with sound the night I was in and the whole system went down during Act 1. For most of the experienced cast this was not a major problem and most could be heard but for the younger and less experienced it was harder to adjust. John Barry did a fantastic job of keeping the Orchestra in check so that we could still hear the songs. The Orchestra throughout sounded stunning and John as always had clearly worked hard with the cast to get the harmonies well drilled.

The male lead of the King was brilliantly played by Paul Hancox whose demeanour and delivery suited this role. The comedy parts were very amusing and his softer side showed through too in the dance scenes and the final scene.

Susan Milligan was fabulous as Anna with perfect vocals which sailed through the hall. All of her numbers were beautifully delivered and superbly acted. Susan’s scenes with Paul were fabulous as they had so much chemistry together.  Her scenes over the King’s death were simply beautiful and very touching.

The children’s chorus was lovely and adorable and the part of Louis was sweetly played by Edward Nicholls with nice vocals whilst Sean Baker put in a sensitive performance as Prince Chulalongkorn.

Philip Callaghan did a very good job in the role of Lun Tha with lovely vocals opposite Vicky Palin as Tuptim who settled into the role nicely with some nice scenes and vocals.

Claire Nicholls played Lady Thiang with nice vocals but for me lacked the emotional side of the role in her depth of delivery of dialogue and vocals where she is aware of the King’s love and fascination for Anna. But a good performance in so short a rehearsal time.

The choreography particularly the ballet scene was nicely put together and with the varied abilities of the cast looked effective.

Knowing this show was only in rehearsal for 6 weeks there were some good strong performances from the experienced leads and the rest of the cast who worked hard. A big well done to all involved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.