SOUTH PACIFIC. To 5 April.
Wolverhampton.
SOUTH PACIFIC
music by Richard Rodgers lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein III.
Grand Theatre To 5 April 2008.
Runs 2hr 30min. One interval.
Review: Ranjit Khutan 31 March 2008.
There's nothing like a Rogers and Hammerstein revival.
This musical tells a tender love story between a naive army nurse who falls for an older French Plantation owner on a US-occupied island in the South Pacific during World War II. Running alongside this is a funnier storyline focusing on the restless sailors – led by the entrepreneurial Luther Billis - who lament about the lack of women on the island and long for the delights that they’ve heard about on the island of Bali Hai.
The musical begins by highlighting the black and white racial divisions in 1940s America, and returns to this theme throughout. The islanders are forced to confront their prejudices and in the process the writers’ invite the audience to question our own views that have been nurtured in us all during our childhood by those around us. However, for all the subtle undertones that highlight the racism and prejudice of the era, the musical is warm and highly funny.
The initial few minutes won’t fill you with excitement as the director opts to set the scene through a few mimed pieces of action set to music. This caused a nervous curiosity amongst some members of the audience and people could be heard asking friends for clarification. However, with the arrival of the sailors and Christopher Howell’s hugely likeable Luther Billis and the witty yet feisty Sheila Francisco’s Bloody Mary, the play is given the kick that it needs.
Howell’s Luther has his sailor colleagues eating out of his hand – and the performer's hilarious take on his character has the same effect on the audience who he leaves in uncontrollable fits of laughter – in particular at the Thanksgiving Folly scene in which he is dressed in coconut shells and a grass skirt as ‘Honey Bun’; it’s a hoot. Francisco’s Bloody Mary deserves equal praise; she is a very talented actress as well as a beautiful singer who gives an enchanting rendition of “Bali Hai” and provides fine comic moments in the delivery of the line “stingy bastards” that she repeats at intervals throughout the musical. The lead performances by Helena Blackman as Nurse Forbush and Dave Willets as Emile de Becque, are equally bright and delivered well. Both have very strong and faultless singing voices, however, there appears to be a lack of genuine chemistry on stage between them.
Despite some lighting issues (actors were unlit or were not very well lit) I can’t imagine anyone disliking it.
Bloody Mary: Sheila Francisco.
Lt Joseph Cable: Ian Mclarnon.
Luther Billis: Christopher Howell.
Capt Brackett: David Alcock.
Commander Harbison: Shai Rappaport.
Stewpot: Aki Omoshaybi.
Liat: Kanako Nakano.
Professor: Tom Woods.
Henry: Jay Lim.
Ensign Bessie Norman: Sue Appleby.
Lt. Genevieve Marshall: Natasha Lewis.
Ensign Dinah Murphy: Lauren James.
Bob McCaffery:John Coates.
Sgt Kenneth Johnson: Nicholas Charters.
Staff Sgt Thomas Hassinger: Matthew Wesley.
Sailor Tom O’Brien: Oliver Brenin.
Lt Buzz Adams: Tim Bosner.
Seabee Morton Wise: Simon Bishop.
Sailor Herbert Quale: David Barrett.
Ensign Connie Walewska: Emily Alexander.
Ensign Janet Macgregor: Michelle Cornelus.
Seabee:Leon Kay.
Seabee Richard West: Andrew Simeon.
Ensign Pamela Whitmore: Nia Jermin.
Sailor: Jamie Tyler.
Director: Julian Woolford.
Lighting: David Howe.
Musical Director: Geoffrey Tinniswood.
Choreographer: Chris Hocking.
2008-04-19 00:45:51