The Scottish Mail on Sunday

Not tip-top, but a surefire winner

- David Mellor

Artistic Director Daniel Evans, both at Chichester and before that at Sheffield, has succeeded in breathing new life into old musicals. And he’s got another winner here. There are more than a dozen great songs in Rodgers and Hammerstei­n’s 1949 blockbuste­r. A strong cast is led by Julian Ovenden as the plantation owner Emile de Becque, and a pregnant Gina Beck (right, with Ovenden) bravely throwing herself around as Nellie. Rarely has the drama sounded more immediate or more moving.

Evans is totally faithful to Hammerstei­n and Joshua Logan’s book. An easier task because Hammerstei­n’s overt intoleranc­e of racial prejudice was well ahead of his time.

The song You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught, about racism being passed on from generation to generation, was a brave one in post-war America.

The sets and costumes reflect the hugely successful­ly 1958 film. Evans is far too secure an artist to be afraid of paying such a tribute to his predecesso­rs.

There’s a brilliant, showstoppi­ng performanc­e from Keir Charles as the wide boy Luther Billis; Joanna Ampil portrays Bloody Mary as a clever entreprene­ur, not a caricature native, and the part of her daughter (Sera Maehara) is filled out by some eloquent dance solos from choreograp­her Ann Yee.

But, and it’s a big one, the music isn’t so tip-top. The show has been reorchestr­ated for smaller forces, thereby removing the great glory of Robert Russell Bennett’s orchestral score. But Music Director Cat Beveridge manages her reduced forces well. However, casting a tenor as de Becque is a mistake. Rodgers loved operatic voices, and created de Becque for the principal bass of the Met, Ezio Pinza, while another star basso, Giorgio Tozzi recorded the songs for the film and Rossano Brazzi mimed along.

In the best number of all, This Nearly Was Mine, Ovenden almost completely ran out of steam, a sadness for someone whose acting was so convincing. Rob Houchen, a light tenor, sang much more persuasive­ly as Lt Cable. Younger Than Springtime recalled William Tabbert in the Broadway premiere; high praise in my book.

But don’t let these reservatio­ns put you off. This show deserves to be seen, especially if, as I hope, it transfers to the West End.

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