The King And I
11th - 16th May 1981
Photographs by John Tustin
| Production Officials | |
|---|---|
| Director | Audrey H. McL. Raistrick |
| Musical Director | Jessie Whittaker |
| Choreographer | Wendy Duckworth |
| Cast | |
| The King | David Holmes |
| Anna Leonowens | Rene Cave |
| Louis Leonowens | Alistair Morrell |
| Lun Tha | Michael Taylor |
| Tuptim | Joyce Foster |
| Captain Orton | Jack Sutcliffe |
| Lady Thiang | Dorothy Hilton |
| Prince Chululongkorn | Robin Jones |
| The Interpreter | Stanley Collinson |
| The Kralahome | Gordon Eckersley |
| Phra Alack | Andrew Turton |
| Sir Edward Ramsey | Ernest Pollitt |
| Princess Ying Yaowlak | Michelle Foster/Rachel Griffiths |
Ballet |
|
| Narrator | Joyce Foster |
| Uncle Tom | Janet Welsby |
| Little Eva | Christine Mason |
| Topsy | Joanne Richardson |
| Eliza | Barbara Martin |
| Simon of Legree | Glenys Collinson |
| Angel | Susan Tucker |
| Buddha | Adrian Pollitt |
Dancers |
|
| Claire Blackburn, Carol Dunsbee, Belinda Hamer, Gillian Kirby, April Marland, Dorothy Pitfield, Fiona Steel, Dorothy Yardley, Catherine Wilkinson, Ruth Wilcock, Barbara Tidy, Bronwen Lee | |
The Royal Wives, Amazons & Ballet Chorus |
|
| Pauline Entwistle, Mina Kirkbright, Ruth Myers, Glenys M. Poole, Norma Pollitt, Mary Pycroft, Joe Ring, Margaret Steel, Susan Thistlethwaite, Jean Thornley, Betty Towler, Janice Warburton | |
Slaves, Priests & Guards |
|
| Peter Collinson, Ashley Deacon, Bill Dixon, Robin Foster, Denis Hamer, Fred Myers, Adrian Pollitt, Daniel Robins, Graham Yardley | |
Royal Princes & Princesses |
|
| Ann Entwistle, Louise Gibson, Sarah Griffiths, Sarah Hill, Alison Lee, Katherine Morgan, Alex McGrath, Nigel McGurk, Emma Steel, Alison Warburton, Zoe Dalton, Suzanne Ashton, Jean Blundell, Meredith Collinson, Beverley Foster, Michelle Foster, Helen Poole, Kimberley Watts, Emma Tickle, Timothy Collinson, Paul Kirkbright, Andrew Rostron | |
Bolton Evening News Review
The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “The King And I” is as popular now as when it was launched nearly 30 years ago.
It’s based on the actual adventures of an English governess who taught the King of Siam’s 67 children, plus his numerous wives.
But it’s mainly a marvellous evening of good tunes, such as “Getting To Know You”, “Shall We Dance” and “Hello Young Lovers”. There is also a good supply of Gilbertian-style wit and paradox such as the ladies chorus, dressed in Western-style crinolines, singing: “To prove we are not savages, she has dressed us as barbarians.”
Walmsley Church AODS are playing to packed houses with it this week for their week’s run at the Egerton school hall. It’s a production which moves swiftly under the skilled direction of Audrey Raistrick and abounds in bright and colourful Eastern costumes and sets.
Rene Cave plays the governess and has most of the singing to do. She tells her pupils: “enunciate the beginning and the end of every word.” Miss Cave does just that and projects her music with charm.
The impulsive, intellectual King is memorably acted and sung by David Holmes and there are good performances from Dorothy Hilton (Lady Thiang), Joyce Foster (Tuptim), Gordon Eckersley (Prime Minister), Alistair Morrell (Louis) and Robin Jones (Prince).
One of the highlights of the evening is the presentation of the tale of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It’s imaginatively choreographed by Wendy Duckworth and Simon is danced by Glenys Collinson.
Walmsley have mustered 24 children, aged from five upwards, for the Royal Children and their entry in the famous March had us all going “Ah”.
Musical direction is by Jessie Whittaker.
It’s based on the actual adventures of an English governess who taught the King of Siam’s 67 children, plus his numerous wives.
But it’s mainly a marvellous evening of good tunes, such as “Getting To Know You”, “Shall We Dance” and “Hello Young Lovers”. There is also a good supply of Gilbertian-style wit and paradox such as the ladies chorus, dressed in Western-style crinolines, singing: “To prove we are not savages, she has dressed us as barbarians.”
Walmsley Church AODS are playing to packed houses with it this week for their week’s run at the Egerton school hall. It’s a production which moves swiftly under the skilled direction of Audrey Raistrick and abounds in bright and colourful Eastern costumes and sets.
Rene Cave plays the governess and has most of the singing to do. She tells her pupils: “enunciate the beginning and the end of every word.” Miss Cave does just that and projects her music with charm.
The impulsive, intellectual King is memorably acted and sung by David Holmes and there are good performances from Dorothy Hilton (Lady Thiang), Joyce Foster (Tuptim), Gordon Eckersley (Prime Minister), Alistair Morrell (Louis) and Robin Jones (Prince).
One of the highlights of the evening is the presentation of the tale of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It’s imaginatively choreographed by Wendy Duckworth and Simon is danced by Glenys Collinson.
Walmsley have mustered 24 children, aged from five upwards, for the Royal Children and their entry in the famous March had us all going “Ah”.
Musical direction is by Jessie Whittaker.
