Theatre Review: The King and I, The Regent Theatre, Hanley
The King And I The Regent Theatre, Hanley
THE Regent was buzzing with anticipation as a packed audience waited for curtain up on the first night of Stage Productions' The King And I.
The musical, by Rodgers and Hammerstein, tells the story of British governess Anna Leonowens (Sarah Buckley) who joins the court of the King of Siam (Simon Fletcher) to tutor his many children and wives.
And the world of Siam was brought fully to life through beautiful scenery and costumes. Both the oriental and western outfits were full of bright colours, patterns and lots of sparkle.
But, although the sets were good, especially the starlit night in the palace gardens, there were issues at times.
Four huge boards were used throughout the show and were moved around the stage, but it was very distracting to see them swaying from side to side when the focus should really have been on the action in front of them.
There was plenty of humour throughout the show, created particularly during the scenes when Anna and the King pitted their formidable personalities against one another.
But nothing could compare to the elephant on wheels, with its own sparkly costume.
As well as the adults, there was a wealth of talented children, particularly Riaf Clarke as Louis Leonowens and Dominic Steele as Prince Chulalongkorn.
Steele's prince very obviously modelled himself on his 'father', the King, and he had the hands-on-hips action down perfectly. The interaction between the two boys was brilliant.
All of the children remembered their lines and there was only one mishap when one of the King's children fell over – which was almost inevitable given they were walking backwards at the time.
There were a few opening night problems with moving props off stage in time, but hopefully these will be ironed out as the run continues.
It is a thoroughly enjoyable experience – so good that the cast even earned some standing ovations.
The King And I is at the Regent Theatre until Saturday March 13.
For tickets and performance times, call the box office on 08448 717627
Hannah Thorley
3 Comments
by Lewis, Newcastle
Friday, March 12 2010, 1:38PM
“I too was lucky enough to experience the opening night of 'The King and I' and I am in full agreement with the critic that the performance was visually phenomenal.
The opulent set and stunning lighting truly emphasised the beauty of Siam and also brought this traditional musical into the 21st century with subtlety.
The four columns which moved around the stage to show different locations in the palace did indeed sway a small amount when they were first positioned, this did not, however, detract from the performance which was genuinely compelling.
There are some points in the review which I find rather unusual...
To write a review on 'The King and I' without actually commenting on either of the leading performances is a little bemusing, particularly when the King and Anna are rarely off stage. They deserve some kind of response for their efforts, be it positive or negative. In this case, both actors gave flawless performances and lead the company with professionalism.
Praise should also be given to the actors playing Tuptim and Lun Tha whose forbidden relationship was portrayed with passion and sincerity.
The whole cast sang through the score with ease; particularly the wives who seemed to breeze through the difficult harmonies.
The ballet in Act 2 is another aspect of the performance which failed to get a mention, yet, for me, it was one one of the most impressive!
The comment about one of the children tripping as they made their way back to their place was somewhat unnecessary, particularly as the critic praised the children for remembering all their lines, which, as a paying audience member, I would hope was a given...?!
I felt much more satisfied paying £18 for my 'King and I' ticket than I did paying £28 for my 'Beauty & The Beast' ticket last September, which seemed very tired and lacklustre in comparison.
Much more praise should have been given to elements of this production.
But then, reviews are based on opinion and everyone is entitled to their own!”
by Unknown, Staffs
Friday, March 12 2010, 12:14PM
“Why is it that when a touring company comes along and puts on a show at The Regent they get a great review!!!
Even proffesional people make mistakes even though I came on the 1st night and didnt spot any of the above from what Hannah Thorley had written.
The people invloved in Stage Productions nailed it!! I thought it was a great night out 'etc etc etc'.”
by Alex, Staffordshire
Thursday, March 11 2010, 2:31PM
“I came to watch this fantastic show last night with my family. We all enjoyed it immensely.
Anna and the King were in particularly extraordinary along with Louis and the Prince.
The wives and children also did an excellent job - they looked and sounded amazing. The children all had their own personalities as they knelt before the King whilst the wives kept us amused in their western dresses.
No mention has been made about the dancing scene. The costumes and moves that they made blew our socks off. How on earth did they dance with those head pieces on?!
I would recommend this family show to you all... hurry up and watch it before its too late!”