South Pacific

Published Wednesday 29 August 2007 at 09:15 by Robin Duke

58 years after its Broadway debut and 49 since the Hollywood it says something that nearly all of its songs are instantly recognisable.

It also says something that America is still at war just as it was in this 1943 tropical setting and that the racism central to its storyline still exists but musicals rarely let such things get in the way of a good knees up and who would find the mercenary Bloody Mary (a winning performance by Sheila Francisco half as appealing if she wasn’t a politically incorrect parody of a pigeon English speaking big Polynesian mama).

Helena Blackman is a grower as the wide eyed Little Rock nurse Nellie Forbush who falls for exiled French plantation owner Emile De Becque. Her voice hasn’t got the widest of ranges but she exudes enthusiasm in the essential ensemble numbers - especially the excellent Thanksgiving Follies scenes - and she looks perfectly 1940s.

Despite the strength of solos such as A Cockeyed Optimist, Some Enchanted Evening, Bali Ha’i, A Wonderful Guy, Younger Than Springtime - it’s the production numbers which sweep the politics, controversies and battlefields under the sand.

There Is Nothing Like A Dame, led by the consistently impressive Christopher Howell as wheeler dealing Luther Billis, is the first big mood lifter and its distaff anthem I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-a My Hair can’t fail to be a winner.

Dave Willetts is a convincing De Beque - the right side of world weariness and never overplaying his vocals, whilst the vocally excellent Ian McClarnon also pitches perfectly the dichotomy faced by Lieutenant Cable’s emotionally torn hero/bigot.

Chris Hocking’s choreography works wonders keeping a large cast and small stage in perfect harmony.