Emmanuel Kojo and members of the company in Oklahoma! at Chichester Festival Theatre. Picture: Johan Persson
Oklahoma! continues at the Festival Theatre, Chichester until 7 September 2019.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Chichester’s reputation in its choice of musicals has been extremely high with the audience being treated to brand new shows or forgotten treasures unearthed. Therefore many people may have been disappointed when it was announced that the theatre had decided to play safe and revisit Oklahoma!
Their previous controversial production (2009), directed by John Doyle, was a minimalist one that overplayed the darker aspects of the plot.
No such concerns this time as Jeremy Sams’ production is a fuller, much sunnier and joyful telling of Curly and Laurey’s turbulent courtship. Jud Fry’s sinister obsession with Laurey is not allowed to dominate.
The piece throbs with lively choreography from Matt Cole. All dance numbers are delivered with precision within the vast tapestry of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s well-loved songs and Robert Jones’ impressive timbered barn setting.
The gymnastic energy of ‘Kansas City’ led, by Isaac Gryn as Will Parker, is matched by the full cast’s knockabout comedy in ‘The Farmer and the Cowman’.
But Cole raises the bar with his version of ‘Dream Ballet’ and offers, possibly, the best ever. The wedding preparations are danced to a hoedown version of ‘The Surrey With the Fringe On Top’ that quietly segues to the wedding ceremony where Jud takes over as groom.
From here on the dream becomes a sexual nightmare when the church ceremony turns into a wild orgy in a brothel that has Aunt Eller as the Madame. Jud’s demonic despatching of gives Act I a ‘hell’ of an ending.
Sams has cast well. Amara Okereke’s Laurey delights both with her singing and her characterisation which blends sweetness with strong feistiness. Her insult trading with Curly is fierce.
While Hyoie O’Grady has all Curly’s swagger he is a tad short on charisma. His pleasant voice may lack the power to conjure up goosebumps with ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’’ but he certainly breathes freshness into it. He also brings much tenderness to his duet with Laurey – ‘People Will Say We Are in Love’.
However there is power aplenty from Emmanuel Kojo as Fry. His singing chills as does the resentment his body expresses. He truly justified the prolonged ovation he received for his soliloquy ‘Lonely Room’ that raises the thought that perhaps he is more sinned against.
There is plenty of comedy from the love triangle of Ado Annie, Will Parker and Ali Hakim, the pedlar. As Annie, Bronté Barbé is a delicious mixture of flirtatiousness, zany goofiness and naivety as she vacillates between one man and the other, singing of her inability to say no.
There is also charming naivety in Isaac Gryn’s long-suffering Will Parker and he has great fun with Barbé when they duet ‘All Er Nuthin’’.
Completing the trio is Scott Karim as the pedlar who has the audience eating out of his hand with an outrageous portrayal of this exotic wide boy. He cleverly manages to stay the right side of going over the top and leads the men’s chorus in a very lively ‘It’s a Scandal! It’s an Outrage!’
Josie Lawrence also steals the show as Aunt Eller. The character is fleshed out to reveal a tough, hands-on farmer and Lawrence fillets the part for every ounce of its comedy. Her auctioneering at the Box Social suggests that she could have a whole new future career.
The show has other with fine performances, notably Nicolas Colicos kicking up his legs as Annie’s father. Full credit must go to the energetic ensemble that does not put a foot wrong.
Nigel Lilley is musical supervisor and musical director (also arranging the dance numbers) and the orchestra gives excellent service to the score.
Barrie Jerram
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