Four PE schools take the King and I to the stage

Leading the cast as the King is Douglas Smith from Grey High, with Nicole Johnson from Collegiate High as Anna Leonowens, who, in a show based on a real life story, travelled to the court of Siam to become teacher to the monarch's many children. They are joined by two other Collegiate and Grey high pupils Amy Annear and Devin Stickells, in the principal romantic lead roles of Tuptim and Lun Tha.

Collegiate's Danielle Carr plays the pivotal role of the king's number one wife, Lady Thiang, Seve Chadford as the disapproving Siamese politician, The Kralahome, while Shawn Sankey will portray the visiting English aristocrat, Sir Edward Ramsey. Jason Herrington plays the eldest of the king's offspring, Prince Chululongkorn, with James van der Merwe as Louis Leonowens, Anna's young son. The featured dancers in the "Small House of Uncle Thomas" Ballet will be Robynne Williams as Eliza and Andrew Hyde as King Simon of Legree.

Musical director has an enviable track record

Director Simon Stickells, from Collegiate Junior, has been award-nominated for on-stage appearances in My Fair Lady (as Freddy Eynsford-Hill) and as the main guest star in the 2011 Showtime musical, Hit the Headlines! Musical director Shawn Lyon, who is Head of Music at Grey High, comes straight off a 2012 Showtime Best Contribution to Theatre Music Award win for his masterly musical direction of the G&S revival of Oklahoma! and his enviable track record includes a number of other awards wins for local presentations of major Broadway and West End presentations.

Young up and coming choreographer Siobhan Day sprang to attention with her staging of the numbers in Seussical the Musical, which saw her honoured with recognition for Best Contribution to Theatre Dance and Best Show Routine for her work on that production.

Vocal direction in the hands of an expert

The vocal direction has been headed up by Collegiate High's Ann Yates, who first undertook this function in 2008 with the school's production of South Pacific, and whose soaring soprano voice has also been heard to excellent advantage in many PE stage musicals, including various Showtime and G&S revues and full-scale musicals such as Fiddler On the Roof, as Tevye's
eldest daughter.

The huge task of costuming the cast is being co-ordinated by Roelien Taylor, who has worked on several other productions in past years, the most recent being the Show of the Year-winning Disney's Beauty & the Beast this immediate past December and January.

The show will be staged at the PE Opera House with a six-performance season from Tuesday, 13 March to Saturday, 17 March 2012. Tickets are already on sale at Collegiate Junior Secretaries' Office during school hours.