'South Pacific' at The Barbican

Last week I was privileged to see the Lincoln Center production of 'South Pacific' at The Barbican Centre in ye olde London Towne. I saw - and loved - this production at the Lincoln Center when I saw it at the end of Snowmaggedon week in New York in February 2010.

I booked the tickets months ago when they first went on sale so didn't realise that last night was the opening night, red carpet and all. There were probably lots of famous people there last night but I only saw Barbara Windsor and Rolfe Harris (both true and long-lasting stars) and Miranda Hart. There was lots of luvvy-luvvy kissing on two cheeks going on at half time and at the end that suggests a lot of people knew each other in one way or another. Journalists or corporates. I was there with the fans of one of the greatest pieces of musical theatre of the last century.

Before seeing it at the Lincoln Center I hadn't seen this show either live or in film so it was a revelation seeing how all the well known songs fit together to tell the narrative of the story. If you're not aware, the story is quite simple. Ensign Nelly is posted as a nurse on a south Pacific island in World War II and falls for an ex-pat Frenchman with a shady past. When she finds out that he was married to a Polynesian wife and has two children she rejects him so he helps spy on Japanese ship movements on an isolated island. He survives to arrive back home to find Nelly looking after his children. End of show. Of course, there's a lot more going on in the show than the basic story and it tackles some difficult themes.

Some of the reviews of the show pick up the racism theme and criticise it for not being stronger but this is a show from 1949 and I think 'You've Got To Be Carefully Taught' is a powerful indictment of institutional racism. It comes down hard on nurture rather than nature. It's quite hard seeing the delightful Nelly suddenly turn cold because her love had previously married an islander.

Ensign Nelly is played by Samantha Womack who, we were told at the start, had broken a toe in rehearsals earlier in the evening. She has a delightful stage presence and a nice, if not particularly strong, voice. Her lover, Emile de Becque is played by Paulo Szot, the voice of Emile on the CD and original Emile at Lincoln Center. Seabee Luther Billis, the spiv and unlikely hero, is played nicely by a chubby Alex Ferns (who was killed in Eastenders) who throws himself around the stage and gives good accent. All the cast were excellent, signing and dancing their hearts out.

Loretta Ables (also from the from the original production) has a great part as Bloody Mary and throws herself into it with abandon in the first half as the islander determined to make as much money as she can while the navy is there. She's darker and more subdued in the second half when all she wants is for Lt Cable to marry her daughter, she'll even work to keep both of them. The object of her attention, Lt Cable, was played by Daniel Koek, who has a great voice and is worth watching out for. He's released 'Younger Than Springtime' as a single (take a listen here).

The production isn't quite as lavish as at the Lincoln Center, in part because the Barbican stage isn't as big and it's designed to go on tour so needs to be flexible enough to fit lots of different theatres, but it's still immensely enjoyable. As soon as the lights go down and overture starts, you know you're in for a treat. How did I manage to live so long without hearing this musical? It really is quite special and if you get the chance then do go and see it. I'm going again in September before it leave the Barbican.