Blakeley and Puissant praised for The King and I

The Financial Times has described the revival of The King and I at the Châtelet as ‘arguably Lee Blakeley’s best production yet for the theatre, on a par at any rate with his A Little Night Music’, noting how ‘Blakeley moves the cast around with unforced skill.’ The review also praised the design:’The show looks splendid, thanks to Jean-Marc Puissant’s elegant and practical sliding panels.’

In an equally enthusiastic review in the New York Times, George Loomis praised the way in which Lee Blakeley ‘vividly and amusingly exploited’ the tensions between Anna and the King, played by Susan Graham and Lambert Wilson, and ensured ‘that the drama’s darker side comes through’. He, too, was impressed by Puissant’s design: ‘Jean-Marc Puissant’s décor sumptuously evokes Oriental splendor with golden panels inspired by screens, both old and new. Elaborate wood pieces with geometric designs serve for the king’s throne and private quarters.’ Summing up, the NY Times described the production as having  ‘sweeping melodic and theatrical power’.

The ‘Diapason’ review, meanwhile, described: ‘La mise en scène simple et rythmée de Lee Blakeley (un habitué de la maison, et un « pro » infaillible)’ [The straight-forward and well-paced direction by Lee Blakeley (a regular at this House and an infallible « Pro »)].