The King and I - London Palladium / Tour / Dominion

It is interesting how higher ticket prices may create in some a false expectation for the staging.

For me, if you are paying top prices, you would expect top quality sets. And if not, it's at least worth mentioning that you found them lacking.

I went to see it a couple of weeks ago. Kelli O'Hara is amazing. Her voice is so pure and clear. I think the set was absolutely fine. Enough decadence to make it feel special, but not in your face to the extent it is over the top. My only gripe was the columns as I was sitting in the front stalls, (Row D), but more to the left of the stage. Therefore, my view was sometimes obscured by the set-pieces. I did have a great view of Kelli during the ballet scene.

For me, if you are charging a lot, you have a lot to live up to, maybe you shouldn't be sparing expense.

I don't see why you would a longer show though, or more intervals, that's not dependant on money, whereas the expense of a set does depend on money you are taking. I don't see how it compares with where the actual money goes from a production.

Lavish set are a throw back to the British mega sung through musicals of the 1980’s, in a way they left a glorious legacy, if you didn’t have them, you wouldn’t have got Wicked or Lion King, they set the standard

The set serves the story, if you don’t like musicals that don’t have lavish sets then skip Come From Away, when it comes over next year.

People have paid north of £200 for tickets for Hamilton and I am not hearing the same complaints and that has no set, Tina: The Musical is very basic and next door Mamma Mia also you will also find disappointing, Jersey Boys well you might as well swerve on that one too. But all those sets are effective for the show it represents.

Also I don’t know where this £200 - £300 a ticket is coming from, I have seen it twice and paid £50 in all.

Musicals aren’t necessary about spectacle, they about setting music to a book.

It's about perceived value and if you are paying upwards of £70 per person it is perfectly natural to get an idea of where your money is going. That can be the physical production, size of the cast or orchestra, star names etc. even the length of the show, if you've paid a couple of hundred pounds for two for example and you're out on the street by 930pm you can feel short changed if you were wanting an evenings entertainment. especially if the show doesnt blow you away. same with previews of shows, if you're being charged full price you should expect the full show and judge it as such. The days of preview audiences being used to try out what works and what doesn't has gone with majority of audience members now knowing whether they are at a preview or not.

Personally I found the king and I set to be lavish but in a simple way. People go on about Phantom and Wicked being lavish sets but actually when you look at them it's all quite simple, but executed well.


I remember when Lord of the rings and Drowsy Chaperone were around the corner from eachother and they were both charging the same money for tickets which is crazy.

And people on here do it all the time. comments like 'I'm only going if they do day seats or I can get a deal' or 'I'm not paying that for a fringe venue' etc

There were sets......

I revisited the film after seeing the London production. My memory of it was rather hazy having not seen the film since I was a child, and I was stunned by the sheer opulence. I actually rather prefer the toned down set in the current production.

I was in the grand circle for my first visit and had thought part of the set was cut off at the top as I couldn't see the fireworks. Booked royal circle row C for my next visit and turns out I had missed nothing at all.

I noticed that TodayTix are advertising on bus stops for King and I last minute rush tickets.

I haven't managed to check yet but does this mean a second batch is being released later in the day?

They've been releasing more as the day goes on since the start of the run. But not every day, so I presume it depends on availability.

I too was there last night and loved it - Kelli O'Hara was just magnificent, and I was similarly impressed by Na-Young Jeon as Tuptim, really lovely voice and performance from her too.

The evening was rather uncomfortable for me, as I found to legroom in row I stalls to be absolutely appalling. My knees were in agony for the whole show.

Would lady nipples amount to an improved view due to relative distance from the seat? Could we have seat plans that automatically adjust by chest size, uplift and mobility of the actor? How would understudies be handled?

It’s political correctness gone mad I tell you.