Bartlett Sher’s revival of ‘The King and I’ has embarked on a brand-new UK Tour, stopping off in Glasgow until Saturday 20th May. Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.
Annalene Beechey reprises the role of Anna Leonowens following her critically acclaimed run in the previous UK Touring production. Annalene’s approach to Anna’s brings her enthusiasm and strength to the stage brilliantly. You can’t help but see the modern twist that Annalene has incorporated into her portrayal of Anna, bringing a proud and determined version of the leading character, leaning on feminist themes and issues of the time. Yet there is still the vulnerability present, whether it’s Anna’s curiosity of the unknown in Siam or conflicting emotions towards the King. Annalene’s vocal performances in this musical are simply stunning, whether it’s ‘I Whistle a Happy Tune’, ‘Getting to Know You’ or ‘Shall We Dance’. This is a breathtaking and truly gorgeous portrayal from a very talented actress.
Darren Lee is brilliant as The King of Siam, he brings a lightness to the character through comedic nuance, where we see his rationale and yet we don’t always agree with The King’s actions. The clear inner conflicts the King has, is built-up brilliantly through the narrative and we still see a man who is struggling on the path of his destiny. With this, the relationship which Darren’s King has with Annalene’s Anna is truly endearing and captivating to watch.
Cezarah Bonner brings a headstrong matriarch in Lady Thiang who clearly understands the potential of a shift the role of women within Siam, yet she is devoted to her King. With this Cezerah’s performance of ‘Something Wonderful’ is divine, the emotion present in the number is captivating to watch.
Dean John-Wilson as Lun Tha and Marienella Phillips as Tuptim bring us the star-crossed lovers, we see the true dedication they have for each other and the desire they have for a life away from Siam. ‘I Have Dreamed’ is such a beautiful number which is done justice by the captivating portryal of Dean and Marienella’s two forbidden lovers. The vulnerability and gut-wrenching emotion present within Marienella’s portrayal towards the end of Act Two truly shows the real darkness present within Siam, and how everything is not as it seems.
Caleb Lagayan brings modernity and poignant emotion as Prince Chulalongkorn, the future King of Siam. There is a great presence on stage from Caleb, who truly shows the conflict of this character and makes his journey to the throne of Siam one which the audience find endearing to watch unfold. Harry Altoft is delightful as Louis Leonowens, Anna’s son . Harry shows a gentlemanly nature and curiosity towards this role.
Kok-Hwa Lie brings a faithful man to the king in the form of Kralahome, we see a comedic lightness to the character, yet there is also a sternness there where his service takes over any dedication to anything or anyone else. Sam Jenkins-Shaw brings two different characters as Captain Orton and Sir Edward Ramsey, both of these men are loyal to Anna and represent the male figures Anna is used to in comparison to the King. Both of these actors perform great supporting roles.
The ensemble of this production show strength in their talent through powerful acting , singing and dancing performances, especially ‘The Small House of Uncle Thomas’ sequence which is one of the most visually stunning routines currently in UK touring theatre. The ensemble are as follows; Hi Chan, Jeffrey Chekai, Emily Grace-Ling, Cher Nicolette Ho, Daniel Len, Rachel Wang-Hei Lau, Candy Ma, Rachel MacDougall, Yuki Ozeki, Amelia Kinu Muus, Kitt Pakapom, Prem Rai, Ria Tanaka, Hiromi Toyooka, Jasmine Triadi, Jensen Tudtud, Qinwen Xue & Jason Yang-Westland.
There is also the children of this production who bring such energy, comedy and madness they bring to each scene. The ensemble of children are as follows; Coco Bridger, Cody Concha, Bethany Campbell, Ethan Fung, Dulcie-Bella Hackley, Caitlin Lau, Tenzin Noryang, Sabri Leonel Puci, Khun Cho Lwin, Angelica Quynh An Nguyen, Francis Benedict Sarte, Mia Snowdon, Qinyuan (Yuen) Zhai & Phoebe Zhao-Welsh.
Bartlett Sher’s direction of ‘The King and I’, takes the work of Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (Lyrics & Book), and makes it into a masterpiece for the 21st Century. Sher removes the racist stereotypes, leans on feminist issues and makes the narrative appeal to a modern audience. With this Robert Russell Bennett’s Orchestrations sound utterly sublime with Christopher Mundy’s musical direction. Christopher Gattelli takes Jerome Robbins’ original choreography and retains the stunning visuals that this musical is known for. Catherine Zuber’s costumes taking cultural inspiration and bring Siam to the stage gorgeously. This is complemented by Michael Yeargan’s stripped-back yet immersive stage design and Donald Holder’s bright lighting design.
‘The King and I’ is a classic musical that has been revived gorgeously by a strong creative team, and is performed by a tremendously talented cast. You do not want to miss this sublime touring production.
Get tickets for ‘The King and I’ below:
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-king-and-i/kings-theatre-glasgow/
Theatre Scotland 
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