South Pacific

Synopsis

Set during World War II, South Pacific is the sweeping romantic story of two couples, threatened by the realities of war. Its portrayal of Americans stationed in an alien culture in wartime is as relevant today as when it first thrilled audiences. Considered one of the finest musicals ever written, the score includes Some Enchanted Evening, I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair and There is Nothin’ Like a Dame.

Our Review:

14 December 2011

The Lincoln Center Theater’s production of South Pacific has arrived at the New Theatre, Oxford for a four-week festive-season run. An award winning, widely hyped show such as this one has a lot to live up to. On the whole, it succeeds.

The performance bubbles with energy in all the right places. Choruses of sailors and nurses bound onto the stage with lively choreography, spirited singing, and a generous helping of humour. There are also plenty of tender moments to provide a change of pace. Samantha Womack gives a warm and engaging performance as Ensign Nellie Forbush, and Jason Howard is a powerful Emile De Becque. For me, however, the stand-out performances of the evening come from Loretta Ables Sayre as scheming Tonkinese entrepreneur Bloody Mary, and Alex Fearns as maverick Luther Billis.

But as aficionados will know, South Pacific isn’t all froth and romance. It’s also a show with a serious theme at its heart: inter-race relations and prejudice, set ag...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

execelsior - 29 March 2012:

I saw the production in Bristol. I live in the US and missed it in New York (the prices of the seats were outrageous) and just missed it in London on a recent visit. So I bought a bus ticket to Bristol - had a great day looking about the place and then went to the theatre (which was glorious and designed by the great Frank Matcham). I thought the production was well worth crossing the Atlantic for (I also went to see alot of other productions - some good, some bad and one (the rubbish at the Old Vic) was terrible - why anyone would want to revive the dead 'Playboy of the Western World', I do not know especially with such a pathetic cast!). Seeing 'South Pacific' and the recent Broadway revival of 'West Side Story' certainly puts 'the musical of today' into perspective - EVERY SINGLE SONG of both of these shows is memorable and perfect in its place in their respective stories. Can one say this about many of the musicals recently produced? I think not....

Read more and add your own review