Full casting has been confirmed for the Chichester Festival Theatre’s eagerly-anticipated production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic South Pacific.
As previously announced artistic director Daniel Evans will direct a cast headed by Gina Beck (Matilda, Show Boat) as Nellie Forbush, Julian Ovenden (Merrily We Roll Along, Grand Hotel) as Emile de Becque, Joanna Ampil (Avenue Q, Miss Saigon) as Bloody Mary, Rob Houchen (Les Misérables, The Light in the Piazza) as Joe Cable and Keir Charles (Company, Come From Away) as Luther Billis.
They will be joined by Iroy Abesamis, Lindsay Atherton, Carl Au, Rosanna Bates, David Birrell, Leslie Garcia Bowman, Taylor Bradshaw, Bobbie Chambers, Charlotte Coggin, Danny Collins, Oliver Edward, Sergio Giacomelli, Shailan Gohil, Adrian Grove, Zack Guest, Cameron Bernard Jones, Amanda Lindgren, Matthew Maddison, Sera Maehara, Melissa Nettleford, Rachel Jayne Picar, Kate Playdon, Pierce Rogan, Clancy Ryan, Charlie Waddell and James Wilkinson-Jones. The children’s roles will be played by Lana Lakha, Kami Lieu, David Ngara O’Dwyer and Alexander Quinlan.
Originally due to be the centrepiece of the 2020 season, the production now launches the summer season from 5 July until 4 September.
Set and costume design is by Peter McKintosh, with choreography and movement direction by Ann Yee, musical direction by Cat Beveridge, with musical supervision by Nigel Lilley, orchestrations by David Cullen, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Paul Groothuis, additional arrangements by Theo Jamieson and casting by Charlotte Sutton.
Based on James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book Tales of the South Pacific, South Pacific boasts music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, and a book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan.
The musical premiered on Broadway in 1949 with a production that garnered ten Tony Awards including wins in all four acting categories – a first for any musical – and also took home the Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama. The 2008 Broadway revival won seven Tonys including the award for Best Revival of a Musical.
Featuring some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most memorable songs including ‘Some Enchanted Evening’, ‘Happy Talk’, ‘There’s Nothing Like A Dame’ and ‘Younger Than Springtime’ , the musical debuted in the West End with Broadway’s original leading lady Mary Martin starring as Nellie Forbush in 1951.
South Pacific is the second consecutive new production of a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic at the prestigious venue following on from the 2019 critic and crowd-pleasing production of Oklahoma!
Tickets for CFT’s South Pacific initially went on sale for performances in a reduced capacity auditorium (approximately 900 rather than the usual 1,300) to ease congestion in the foyers and public spaces. The venue plans to move to full capacity as soon as Government guidelines allow. However, there will still be one specially designed Covid-secure performance every week for theatregoers who prefer to remain socially distanced. The production will be streamed live on 4, 9, 14, 18, 21, 26, 31 August and 3 September.
There will be a Dementia-Friendly performance of South Pacific on 1 September at 2.30pm for individuals living with dementia and their friends, families and carers.
South Pacific is the opening production in a 2021 season that also includes: two world premieres (Suhayla El-Bushra’s adaptation of Andrea Levy’s novel The Long Song and Zoe Cooper’s The Flock) along with revivals of two modern dramas (Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane and Home by David Storey).
The season will end with the return of the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s Pinocchio .Featuring music by Tom Brady, CFT writer-in-residence Anna Ledwich’s new adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio which played just 15 live performances in 2020 before lockdown will be the festive attraction at the venue, running from 18 December 2021 until 1 January 2022.
Unveiling full details of the reopening season, Evans and executive director Kathy Bourne said: “We’re delighted to announce four new productions to add to our summer musical, South Pacific…These plays – each with a director new to CFT at the helm – take us from the South Pacific to Jamaica, rural Ireland, the North-East of England and back to the Home Counties.
“All engage, two in varying ways, with the differences that divide us – from racial prejudice to warring families, social mores and conflicting beliefs – and whether tolerance and understanding can bring us together.
“And before we open the Festival Theatre in July, we look forward to welcoming audiences to our Open Air Weekend in Oaklands Park with socially distanced picnic plots for all the family.
“Our commitment to our local community has remained undimmed over the past year. If anything, this work has grown and deepened, notably through initiatives such as Young Carers Connect, and this – alongside our greatly expanded digital presence – will continue.
“After a challenging year, we can’t wait to reopen our doors – and to see Chichester productions reaching audiences far beyond West Sussex again. In addition to our film of Crave (streaming 18-29 May), Caroline, Or Change is now scheduled for New York in the autumn and Singin’ in the Rain splashes down in London later this summer.”
Angela Thomas
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