REVIEWS FOR 'THE KING AND I'

We have received reviews for 'The King and I'...

"It’s not difficult to see why ‘The King and I’ has become such a firm favourite down the years; the combination of wonderful tunes, colourful costumes, strong characters and a poignant ending, based on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, the Englishwoman who became schoolteacher to the King of Siam’s children in the early 1860s. As the King, Jeremy Jameson struck the right balance of comedy and authority,  increasingly coming under the influence of Anna’s resolute stance against his imperious customs. Liz Hood’s Anna grew steadily more assured, finally flaring into life when she prevents the punishment of runaway courtier Tuptim (a sensitive performance from Louise Ellison). Linda Bagnall’s dignified Lady Thiang had wonderful presence and serenity, and as Lun Tha, Paul Marsh showed a considerable feel for musical theatre. Director/MD Neil Streeter led four very fine musicians and the Suzanne School of Dancing’s ballet was strikingly creative and imaginative." 
Ed Howson - Southern Daily Echo


“The King and I, the latest production by AMOS at The Lights, directed by Neil Streeter, had a touch of the ‘curate’s egg’ about it.  Anna, played by Liz Hood looked the perfect English rose and even if her singing was not always accurate, her acting did not disappoint, as the strong yet sympathetic school teacher.  Her rapport with the King, Jeremy Jamieson worked, his performance displayed a masterful presence and he gave a competent rendition of ‘A  Puzzlement’ one of the most challenging musical numbers in the show.  Paul Marsh (Lun Tha) has a good voice and together with Louise Ellison (Tuptim) gave a very moving performance as the luckless lovers.  The costumes were good and colourful but a little more opulence in the set would have been welcome.  As always the adult chorus were in good voice and the children a delight and this must bode well for the future of the society.  Both Stephen Bell (Prince Chulalongkorn) and Jack Buckley and Tom Carter (who shared the riole of Louis) showed good stage presence.  Thankfully the chorus and principles were never overwhelmed by the competent musicians.  But the highlight of the show was Linda Bagnall’s portrayal of Lady Thiang, the loyal and dignified head wife of the King.  Linda never fails to deliver an excellent all round performance and she gave a beautiful rendition of ‘Something Wonderful’.    It was an entertaining show which although lacked pace in the first half, redeemed itself in the second act with a superb ballet sequence  by the Suzanne School of Dancing and an emotional ending.”
Review by Nick Jones


"AMOS excelled in their recent production of “The King and I”, brilliantly directed by Neil Streeter.  The lavish costumes, professional choreography, music and strong cast combined to make a successful show.  There was a wide range of acting talent on stage, including two teams of children who were simply a delight to watch.Liz Hood was well cast in the role of Anna as she portrayed the traditional well-bred, well-educated English lady perfectly and while her singing did not always meet expectation, her acting was compelling.The part of the King was taken by the talented Jeremy Jameson  -  a very challenging role but performed admirably.  He had the variation in emotions required  - angry, forceful , thoughtful, sexist but eventually showed humour and warmth in his relationship with Anna.Tuptim was played convincingly and emotionally by Louise Ellison.  Louise recently received a nomination for ‘Best Actress in a Musical’ for her first lead role in ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ and showed the same quality of acting, singing and dancing in her role as Tuptim.  Louise combined well with Paul Marsh who played Lun Tha in the sub plot of their secret and fated love.Linda Bagnall was just right as Lady Thiang. Obviously an accomplished performer, she had marvellous stage presence and delivered a powerful rendition of “Something Wonderful” – the vocal highlight of the show.There were many good performances by the other principles but particularly worth a mention are Stephen Bell who played Prince Chulalongkorn and Jack Buckley and Tom Carter who shared the role of Louis Leonowens. They all took on their parts with great conviction although I think their duet was perhaps a little ambitious.One of the highlights of the show was the ballet, ‘The Small House of Uncle Thomas’ which was staged to entertain the King and the visiting English diplomat - Sir Edward Ramsey.  This was narrated by Tuptim and performed faultlessly by the Suzanne School of Dancing, choreographed by Grace Hicks.The very basic scenery was the only area that could have been improved on given the potential scope with the setting of Siam and the stage facilities available at The Lights."
Review from Chilbolton Players