I barely knew anything about South Pacific before I sat down to watch it, and most of what I did know was the basics. The famous songs (Happy Talk, I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right out of my Hair), the general setting and timeframe. And, to be frank, I knew it covered racism, and had had considerable controversy because of this theme. I wasn’t quite sure of what to expect. And I think that made my experience all the better.

The show starts with a dance by Liat (Sera Maehara), who is a joy to watch on stage. Her dancing was dreamlike, which was perfect for her romance scenes with Lt Cable (Rob Houchen) later in the show. She’s interrupted by the American Navy, with the staging, sound and lighting brilliantly representing the shatter of tranquility. It’s an excellent way of introducing the audience to just what is going on.

And it continues to become clear that this is a very powerful staging which takes advantage of the setting to produce some beautiful (and practical) scenery. A revolve spins the set while Nellie Forbush (Gina Beck) and Emile de Becque (Julian Ovenden) are singing their Soliloquies, meaning they can move around and get into their soliloquy, yet still be separated. Beck and Ovenden’s chemistry was moving. I was initially confused at the fact the audience are just dropped into their growing relationship with no scene of an initial meeting, but Beck and Ovenden wiped away that confusion, wonderfully portraying both the optimism and hesitancy of their characters.

One of the defining moments at the show comes at the end of the first act, as, after seeing the soldiers and islanders together, we are reminded of the attitudes in America at the time. From what I understand audiences in the 1940s and 1950s were not happy about being confronted with this, but from a modern standpoint it is still such a startling moment. Throughout the act we’ve followed Forbush, who so far has defined herself as a ‘cock-eyed optimist’. The moment the audience realise she’s rejecting de Becque because of his late Polynesian wife emotionally winded me, and the performances of Beck and Ovenden were a strong contribution to that.

My second emotional winding comes in the second act. Aside from Forbush and de Becque, we also see the love story of Lt Cable and Liat. From the portrayals of Maehara and Houchen, it seemed like Liat, a character who is at heart gentle, brought out the gentleness in Cable. Their romance was enhanced by the choreography, done by Ann Yee, and the use of elegant movements contrasted well with the fact that people on both sides see the other as ‘violent’ or ‘savage’, in whatever way. Which is why the climax of their love story is so gut-wrenching. While I won’t spoil it, it was something I was not expecting. I was that invested in the characters that the thought of an unhappy ending never crossed my mind, even though I knew when and where the work was set.

The other main character is Bloody Mary, a Tonkinese (Northern Vietnamese) woman who sells goods like grass skirts and boar tooth bracelets. Played in this production by Joanna Ampil, she’s seen as a woman who is doing all she can to provide for her daughter Liat. A costume change, including the removal of facial paint, emphasises that Mary is a smart woman, who knows exactly what to do to portray herself as the type of ‘island native’ the soldiers want to see. Ampil triumphs in showing the comedic side of Mary, and the moving side.

The show also has a strong ensemble, who mainly portray the Navy Seabees and the Nurses. Respectively the two groups feature in two of the show most famous songs: There’s Nothing Like a Dame and I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right out of my Hair. The energy brought to these songs (and the rest of the show) by the cast succeeded in drawing in the audience, and the cohesive staging meant that a lot of the background moments were just as interesting to watch.

Among the ensemble is Lt Billis (Douggie McMeekin), the Seabee who is focused on the most. McMeekin was brilliant in a role that is laregly comedic, including Billis and Nellie’s performance of Honey Bun. The Captain and the Commander were played by David Birrell and Stephen John Davis, and the three of them were perfect in their delivery of lines.

The show ends how it begins, with Liat on stage. She’s alone, but there are other people on the stage. I thought the pacing of the ending was very quick (the first act is 90 minutes while the second is roughly 50), but it was still incredibly moving.

And to focus on the show creatively, I think everything was wonderfully done. The sets were designed well, particularly as the production is touring and has to fit multiple theatres, and the use of the revolve added more to scenes. The costumes (like the sets, designed by Peter McKintosh) were good, and I particularly liked the individual touches brought to the Seabees costumes, and the colours schemes for the Army groups and the Islanders. Ann Yee’s choreography and movement contributed highly to the energy and passion of the show, and utilised all the space on the stage. And the direction of Daniel Evans produced beautiful performances, and kept a classic show vibrant.

I was really glad I got to see this show, and it was really interesting to go into a show so blind, as I often do research beforehand. The themes of South Pacific are still incredibly relevant, and this production brings them to the forefront with brilliant creatively and a wonderful cast.

South Pacific runs at Edinburgh Festival Theatre (25th-29th October 2022), Leeds Grand Theatre (1st-5th November 2022) and Canterbury Marlowe Theatre (15th-19th November 2022). https://southpacificshow.com/tour/