REVIEW | The King and I, Dominion Theatre

Reviews

1 Feb

Written by Becky

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

The Tony Award winning The King and I had made a triumphant return to the West End, arriving at The Dominion Theatre for a limited run this year following its successful UK tour last year.

A true representation of the golden age of musicals, The King and I tells the story of an English schoolteacher, recent widower Anna Leonowens (played beautifully by Helen George of Call the Midwife fame) who travels to the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) in the 1860s to teach the children of the King of Siam (Darren Lee). It’s a brilliant telling of cultural clashes throughout a blossoming relationship between the two, I’m not surprised this show has a firm place in many theatregoers hearts.

Helen George absolutely shines in her role as Anna. To start, her vocals are on point, she has a soft and tranquil tone to her voice which reflects so well with her character, caring and interacting with the King’s children in his absence. Her comedic timing was refreshing and the way she uses her outfits to blend into the excellent choreography by Christopher Gattelli is truly fascinating.

Darren Lee brings us vocals from the heart, which is not surprising with how long he’s been attached to this show. He too has a very good concept of comedic timing and line delivery that gave a nice break from the occasional seriousness of the show’s plot. He admirably portrayed a likeable but firm king who has gone through trials and tribulations of war and has begun to innocently fall for the charms of George’s character of Anna.

The children within the cast are also to be commended. They brought so much joy and positive energy to the stage, they were truly a delight to watch and listen to. The professionalism of the young actors oozed from the stage, especially considering they travel with the show alongside still being given their education, honestly remarkable and, of course, adorable.

The set (Michael Yeargan) and costume design (Catherine Zuber) are some of the stars of the show and is to great credit to the overall performance. From the moment the curtain opens onto the docks of Anna arriving in Siam to her first entrance into the palace, every scene is breathtakingly designed. The costumes truly reflected the essence of Siam and of their culture. Magnificent and modest, each character sparkled beautifully and could stand out. With excellent direction by Bartlett Sher, no space was left unfilled even when there was only one member of the cast on stage at the time, a wonderful feat for a stage as big as the Dominion’s.

If there’s one thing to take from this show it really is the talent of those that we don’t see, anyone backstage working on the design, sound or lighting are a real credit to the show and theatre itself. The show has a slightly longer running time of 2 hours and 55 minutes but do not let this discourage you from seeing the show as you become absolutely immersed throughout, whether that be the timeless sound of Roger and Hammerstein’s music and lyrics or the wonderful choreography or the simply the costume design, there is plenty to marvel at.

Don't miss out on this classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical as it makes its triumphant return to the West End. You’ll want to dance all night and whistle away your worries after such a joyous evening!

The King & I is at The Dominion Theatre until the 2nd of March 2024.