'The King & I' opens on the deck of the Chow Phya, where Anna Leonowen's and her son Louis are on their way to Siam, where Anna is to become governess and tutor to the Royal children. They are met by the Kralahome - the King's right hand man. Anna has been told she will have a house of her own but the Kralahome insisits she must come to the Royal Palace.
In his palace, the King receives a gift from the prince of Burma, delivered by Lun Tha. The gift is a girl, Tuptim, who is unhappy to be in Siam as she is in love with Lun Tha.
Anna meets the King, his wives and his 67 children and begins the process of teaching. She is still in dispute with the King regarding her own house and when he refuses her request yet again, she threatens to leave.
Anna persuades the King to hold a western-style dinner to show the British Ambassador, Sir Edward Ramsay, that Siam is not a barbarous country. Anna and Sir Edward are old friends and when the King sees them dance together he is jealous and for the first time calls her by her first name.
Lun Tha has been ordered back to Burma but he and Tuptim plan to elope and confide in Anna.
After dinner, Tuptim's ballet version of Uncle Tom's Cabin is staged and afterwards the King gives Anna an emerald ring. News arrives of Tuptim's elopement. Lun Tha is dead and Tuptim is returned to the palace where Anna prevents the King from whipping her.
Several months pass and the King has been ill for some time. Anna is planning to leave but she goes to see him one last time. The children beg her to stay and she agrees. The King dies and Anna sobs as the curtain falls.
Our 2000 cast is:
Captain Orton - Kevin Lawrence
Louis Leonowens - Craig McIntyre
Anna Leonowens - Leanne Baillie
The Interpreter - Graeme Scott
The Kralahome - Peter Hannah
The King - Scott McNiven
Lun Tha - Douglas Greig
Tuptim - Ciara Monteith
Lady Thiang - Pamela Scott
Prince Chulalongkorn - Sean Campbell
Sir Edward Ramsay - Kevin Lawrence
Wives - Megan Rodgers, Claire Kennedy, Victoria Brankin, Siobhan Allardice, Heather McCaig, Ashley Brown, Patricia Hagenbuch, Jennifer Gale
Dancers - Siobhan Allardice, Victoria Brankin, Lauren Hurcombe, Emma Hay, Rebecca Manson, Nyree Brankin
Producer...Lesley Easton
Musical Director...Eddie MacLennan
Choreographer...Nicola Hughes