Review: The King and I at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Paul Kerryson's national tour of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic hit musical , The King and I, polkas its way into Wolverhampton this week, with local children from all over the West Midlands delighting audiences as the children of the King of Siam.
The King and I
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Paul Kerryson's national tour of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic hit musical , The King and I, polkas its way into Wolverhampton this week, with local children from all over the West Midlands delighting audiences as the children of the King of Siam.
The King and I is essentially a play with music, rather than an out and out musical, with an incredibly powerful storyline, as is often the case when based on reality.
That said, it must surely have one of the most recognisable scores in theatre, including Getting to Know You, I Whistle a Happy Tune and Something Wonderful. It is unfortunate therefore that in an effort to ensure that the show moves along at speed, the musical direction of this production is at times a little too pacey, sometimes at the expense of the vocal performances.
Yul Brynner is a hard act to follow, but West End star Ramon Tikaram as The King, certainly displays the qualities required to take on such an iconic role, with a dramatic performance to die for and excellent execution of A Puzzlement.
Watch the video to see Nicky Butler interview Ramon.
Josefina Gabrielle simply sparkles as Mrs Anna, with crystal clear vocals, the perfect school teacher attitude and a hard outer shell which you just know contains a soft inside. The chemistry between the pair is obvious, resulting in humorous exchanges and an underlying romantic tension between them.
There is a promising performance by Daniel Cornish as Louis and some heart-wrenching scenes between star-crossed lovers, Adrian Li Donni as Lun Tha and Claire-Marie Hall as Tuptim.
The choreography of the ballet in Act two is breathtaking, bringing to life a piece which may potentially have been a little dull, but it was the rousing performance of Shall We Dance? the audience were waiting for and they were not disappointed, as Anna and the King literally galloped across the Grand Theatre stage with gusto.
A spectacular production which runs until Saturday.
