The King and I – lavish, beautiful and entertaining

The King and I is without a doubt one of the most iconic musicals of all time.

Say the title, and you will almost certainly picture Yul Brynner as the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam, and Deborah Kerr as Anna Loenowens, the governess and English tutor to his wives and many children.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein production hails from the golden age of musicals – adored by the public and critics alike – with one of the finest scores ever written including Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You, and Shall We Dance,

Set in 1860s Bangkok, this breathtaking musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna.

I won’t lie – I’ve not seen the film in more than 30 years, but I remember it with fondness and the songs stick in the mind. When watching this stage adaptation at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow, I was amazed as the words came tripping back into my head, when I thought I had forgotten them long ago.

Shall we dance? Darren Lee and Annaleene Beechey in the King and I (Photo: Johan Persson)

Heading the cast are Annalene Beechey as Anna, with Darren Lee as the King of Siam. On the night I attended, the King was played by Kok-Hwa Lie.

Beechey is absolutely perfect as Anna – her superb RP makes you believe that this is a character from the 18th century, and carries the natural authority that an old-style schoolteacher brings into a room. She quickly establishes herself as a warm individual, and it’s easy to see why the King’s family come to love her.

Lie is a gifted performer, as he has a fantastic knack to bring out the humour in the part, with some superb body language that added to the King. He brought a presence and authority to the part, and at the end, I was picturing him as the King, rather than his more famous counterpart on the big screen. He is superb – this is a leading man in the making.

Cezarah Bonner gives warmth and elicits empathy as Lady Thiany.

The young cast are absolutely adorable, especially the youngest of the king’s children, who got lots of oohs, ahhs and laughs at the right times.

A fair portion of the second act is detached from the main storyline, although it serves as a symbolic parallel for the feelings of Tuptim, who was gifted to the King. She has her own love, and didn’t want to be told who love.

Annaleene Beechey as Anna, with the King’s family (Photo: Johan Persson)

We are given a adaptation of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, in a Siamese retelling, which feels like modern dance in many places, with plenty of symbolism, but full of stunning choreography that took my breath away, as the performers contorted themselves in to lots of awkward-looking poses. It’s a highlight of this production.

The best word to sum up this production is sumptuous. It features a company of over 50 performers and a full-scale orchestra, which is wonderful. The overture at the start was a beautiful introduction to the production and they are a highly-skilled group.

The atmosphere created in the theatre was a very happy one, to the point that one member of the audience wanted to clap along to Shall We Dance. They stopped quickly when no one else joined in, but they were given their chance to applaud at the curtain call.

The King and I is at the King’s Theatre until Saturday 8 February.

For tickets click HERE.

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