Upstaged rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Fresh from the stellar adaption of My Fair Lady, another Bartlett Sher directed version of a musical theatre classic visits Manchester – this time, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King & I.
Premiering in 1951, The King and I follows confident British schoolmaster Anna as she takes residence in Siam to tutor the King’s many children. Over the course of many months, Anna and the stern King become well acquainted and she is welcomed into his trust – unusual for a woman at the time and in Siamese culture.
An impressively strong and surprisingly modern approach to feminism.
As you can imagine, the plot occasionally strays into the realm of exoticising foreign cultures, but Sher proves mainly adept at neutralising this. There is a hint of a white saviour narrative to the conclusion, but my fears of a plot that has aged like milk proved unfounded. (I must confess, I was entirely ignorant of the musical before this production.)
With this in mind, The King and I takes an impressively strong and surprisingly modern approach to feminism, especially given the age of the material. Anna is a force to be reckoned with, and Annalene Beechey strikes the balance between her tough, matronly exterior and motherly heart perfectly.
The orchestrations are grand and evocative of the cultural divide between colonial Europe and East Asia.
With the Rodgers and Hammerstein name behind it, you know precisely the quality of music you will be getting, and this production doesn’t disappoint. The orchestrations are grand and evocative of the cultural divide between colonial Europe and East Asia. Surely the most well-known number from the show is ‘Getting to Know You’, which is realised here as one of the most charming musical numbers I’ve seen in a long time, extolling the virtues of cultural collaboration and of teaching.
Costumes (Catherine Zuber) are absolutely sumptuous, as you would expect and desire from a production such as this. Shows from the ‘golden age’ of musicals don’t respond well to any sign of budgetary constraint. The sets (Michael Yeargan) were somewhat spartan at times, but this is mostly forgivable given the relatively short run in each venue.
Minor quibbles aside, this is another confident production from Sher. It’s always a treat to see classics such as this performed in a high-budget setting, and there seems to be a slew making their way through Manchester right now – make the most of it whilst you can.
-Daniel Shipman
The King & I runs at the Palace Theatre, Manchester until Saturday 13 May 2023.