South Pacific Review by Karen Brain |
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Based in the 1940’s during the Second World War, this love story delves into the dim realities of racial prejudice encountered by a nurse and a serviceman during their posts in the South Pacific. Nurse Nelly Forbush (Helena Blackman) falls head over heels for Emile de Becque (Dave Willets) a french plantation owner, but all isn’t so rosy when it comes to light that de Becque has two mixed race children from a previous marriage to a Polynesian Woman who has since died. Unfortunately, as delightful as their voices are, there was just no chemistry between Blackman and Willets and I really did struggle to believe the storyline. Willets was outstanding and truly charming as Emile, but his years of accomplished acting experience was a stark contrast to that of Miss Blackman, who lacked any emotion and seemed almost hyperactive in her performance throughout. Such a shame I might add, as her singing voice is beautiful!!! All is not lost though, with the well timed arrival of Bloody Mary, an islander who spends her time selling the marines ‘velly sexy’ grass skirts, boars tooth bracelets and shrunken human heads – ideal presents to send home to there loved ones! It is this Filipino actress, Sheila Francisco (Bloody Mary), who stole the show for me – her performances of ‘Happy Talk’ and ‘Bali Hai " were truly spine tingling, and her comic timing, on the nose! John Coates played an amusing ‘Bilko-esque’ Luther Billis, also a wheeler-dealer but no match for Mary. He had the audience in fits of laughter during Nellie’s ‘Honeybun’ dance routine at the Thanksgiving Follies Show, with his comic portrayal of a dancing local in a grass skirt. The second love-story is between Mary’s daughter Liat and Lt Joseph Cable – a weird setup I have to say, when Mary introduces them on the beach and they just seem to ‘get down to it’. Not quite the romance I was expecting!!! Sadly this love-story doesn’t have a happy ending when Cable is killed by the Japanese before he has chance to deal with his bigotry! The set is clever, although it wasn’t without mishap when the commanders office had to be pushed off set by Capt Brackett (David Alcock) – who made an amusing quip about getting his office fixed as he left the stage – made all the more funny when it reappeared without incident to some applause! This is an energetic production, and the cast and musicians are enthusiastic to boot, there are some stellar performances which makes this show well worth seeing, but sadly for me this was a love-story that seemed to fizzle rather than sizzle in the romance stakes! by Karen Brain |