Portfolio > South Pacific
1943. On an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, US troops are kicking their heels amid the cacao groves while restlessly waiting for the war to reach them.
Nellie Forbush, a navy nurse from Arkansas, finds herself falling for the French plantation owner, Emile de Becque – a man with a mysterious past. The scheming sailor Luther Billis runs a makeshift laundry to earn a quick buck, but he’s no match for the quick-witted Polynesian Bloody Mary who’s intent on exploiting these foreigners.
When young Princeton graduate Lieutenant Joe Cable is flown in on a dangerous reconnaissance mission, love and fear become entwined as the island’s battle for hearts and minds begins.
This much-loved, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical opened in 1949 to huge success, becoming one of Broadway’s longest running hit shows. It boasts one of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most memorable scores, featuring songs such as Some Enchanted Evening, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair and Bali Ha’i.
This new production is directed by Artistic Director Daniel Evans whose previous Chichester productions include This Is My Family, Quiz and Fiddler on the Roof.
awards & nominations
2023 Olivier Awards: nomination for Best Musical Revival
venue
Chichester Festival Theatre
Sadler’s Wells Theatre
UK National Tour
credits
Director Daniel Evans
Set & Costume Designer Peter McKintosh
Choreographer & Movement Director Ann Yee
Musical Supervisor Nigel Lilley
Musical Director Cat Beveridge
New Orchestration David Cullen
Original Broadway Orchestration Robert Russell Bennett
Lighting Designer Howard Harrison
Sound Designer Paul Groothuis
Video Designer Gillian Tan
Additional Arrangements & Happy Talk Orchestration Theo Jamieson
Casting Director Charlotte Sutton
Additional Children’s Casting Verity Naughton
Producer Chichester Festival Theatre
photography credits
Johan Persson