Review: South Pacific, Palace Theatre, Manchester (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Review: South Pacific, Palace Theatre, Manchester

11:11am Thursday 27th October 2011 in Stage: Show reviews By Anna Mansell, Features writer

THE soaring melodies of Richard Rodgers’ rich score sweep you away to the South Pacific when the overture to this production starts up.

Slowly you’re enticed to mystical islands, bathed in sunshine and heat some time during World War Two.

The show seems to start in an odd place, as you pick up French plantation owner Emile de Becque and US Ensign Nellie Forbush on what appears to be a first date at his home.

While giving stunning individual performances, Jason Howard and Samantha Womack just don’t quite seem to gel as a couple, and that’s probably my key issue with this production - transferred from Broadway, via London’s Barbican Theatre, where it only closed at the start of the month.

Howard’s voice is like the warmest waves of the Pacific washing over you, and his operatic pedigree does wonderful justice to songs such as Some Enchanted Evening and This Nearly Was Mine.

And Womack bubbled and fizzed as a young woman in love should, with a quality voice although her Little Rock accent did sometimes tip this over into a nasal tone.

For me, the star performances came from Alex Ferns as Luther Billis and Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary.

Ferns brought real heart to the comic role, while Ables Sayre brought out the coldest, darkest, most sinister side to her character and her Bali Ha’i was truly mesmerising and spine-tingling.

And at the fore of company numbers they were both in their element.

Daniel Koek was in fine voice as Lt Cable, but I felt more chemistry between him and Womack, than between Womack and Howard.

His love interest Liat (Elizabeth Chong) was sadly all too forgetable among so many strong individuals.

The darker sides to this story, racism of its time and life at war add depth to the love stories.

All the elements of a perfect musical are in place: The sets draw you into the island and set the tone as the action progresses; the orchestra was simply stunning making the most of the classic tunes; and the ensemble of Seabees and Nurses complete lively choreography; the costumes are bight; and it’s a truely classic tale well told.

Yet, while I applauded with great enthusiasm, the evening wasn’t quite an ‘enchanted one’.

‘This nearly was’ a great night.