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Post by erik24601 on Jan 31, 2024 10:36:06 GMT
Does anyone know the typical running time please? At the palladium it was about 2hrs 55 Feels more like 3hrs 55mins at the Dominion. Terrible, drab, slow direction of a beautiful musical. |
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Post by ladidah on Feb 1, 2024 7:51:51 GMT
I ended up having to leave in the interval, due to feeling ill. A shame as I was enjoying it overall.
A mixed bag for me. Helen George is better than expected, but still lacks power and her acting at times was a bit 'oh, this silly King of Siam,' head shaking.
Lady Thiang is a standout, you can't take your eyes off of her whenever she is on screen, her voice is beautiful.
Lots of celebs there last night, saw Nina Wadia, Brian Conely, Tom from Celebs go Dating and Louis Theroux was next to me at the bar.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 1, 2024 8:29:18 GMT
I ended up having to leave in the interval, due to feeling ill. A shame as I was enjoying it overall. A mixed bag for me. Helen George is better than expected, but still lacks power and her acting at times was a bit 'oh, this silly King of Siam,' head shaking. Lady Thiang is a standout, you can't take your eyes off of her whenever she is on screen, her voice is beautiful. Lots of celebs there last night, saw Nina Wadia, Brian Conely, Tom from Celebs go Dating and Louis Theroux was next to me at the bar. Whenever she is on screen? Are they projecting the show now rather than it being live? |
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Post by ladidah on Feb 1, 2024 8:44:29 GMT
Stage.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 1, 2024 9:03:29 GMT
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Post by Dr Tom on Feb 1, 2024 11:27:33 GMT
I was also there last night, which was some type of press or media night. Rush gave me second row Stalls (although at the extreme side), so I couldn't turn that down. You do lose the edge of the stage, but otherwise the view is clear.
I completely failed at the celebrity spotting, but I also didn't wander around. I was told that David Seaman was in attendance.
This is a much more engaging show from the front. The sound quality was also better. From the front, I could tell this was much more the tour production than the Palladium version, with two of the children played by adults. They do seem to play all of this with very broad mannerisms, but perhaps that's due to the size of the venue.
Cezarah Bonner as Lady Thiang is definitely the highlight.
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Post by capybara on Mar 1, 2024 14:20:44 GMT
Helen George sparkles and gives a commanding performance as Anna in this steady, if under-paced, production.
Despite a lack of familiarity with any previous version of the show, I had enjoyed the suite of numbers from it that were performed at the recent Drury Lane concert. And yes, it was still a joy to hear the likes of ‘Shall We Dance?’ and ‘A Puzzlement’ fill the sold-out Dominion.
George is commanding and brings what appears to be a fresh vigour to Anna. And she can certainly sing what can be a tricky score to master. Meanwhile, Darren Lee brings heaps of charisma as the King. The pair bounce off each other with ease; I had no idea there were so many comical moments either.
But the main issue here is with its pacing. Bartlett Sher’s direction consistently frustrating and the piece ends up feeling rather episodic, with all rhythm and flow interrupted. At almost three hours in length, I was able to identify at least 20 minutes worth of material that could be cut immediately.
Although Catherine Zuber’s costumes generally hit the mark, Michael Yeargan’s set design is far too basic and simplistic to a show that yearns for lavishness. That being said, the boat in the opening scene at least brought about some audible gasps in the audience. It’s a shame that it is likely to go back into storage for the touring dates outside of the West End!
Overall, this production is steady, functional but ultimately lacking in ambition. It proved a decent introduction to The King and I - but a stunning introduction to George as a stage performer. Trim 20 minutes (preferably the entire ballet sequence in the dreary second act) and we could be in business.
Three stars.
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