King Kong

The show opens up with all the glitz and glamour that I imagined it to be. The opening number sets the scene in New York during the depression, featuring dancers, aerial and circus performers, with a huge cast taking to the stage showcasing around 100 different costumes within the first five minutes.

From there on, the story moves along about an ambitious film-maker who needs to find a beautiful starlet to feature in a movie. He takes her along with a boat crew to film on Skull Island, where she’s kidnapped for sacrificing to a beast who lives on the island known as King Kong.

The show stopper of course is when ‘the star’ King Kong appears on stage. You can feel the anticipation building and I’ve never witnessed a moment, let alone an entrance like this during any musical production – and I’ve seen many. His roar I’m sure can be heard a block away, vibrating through the theatre, and looking so true to life there was nothing I could fault. The perfect looking beast.

I’m not surprised with the work that’s gone into creating this creature. King Kong took a year to build by 50 specialists across engineering, fabrication, electronics and digital departments. He has his own on-board hydraulic power, 1,500 connections and 300 metres of electrical cable. Each show has 13 ‘kings men’ bringing him to life, and his expressions are so life-like you can actually feel his emotions. The attention to detail is just unbelievable, even to the point where his wounds bleed and his eyes take you deep within his soul.