Amazing acting, stunning scenery and beautiful voices – Workington Amateur Operatic Society’s The King and I has it all.

The group may be considered amateurs, but the talent on the Carnegie stage certainly begs to differ.

With Jennifer Hawley-McGee fitting naturally into the role of leading lady, Anna, and Jack Pike echoing his bold voice around the theatre as The King, it was easy to get swept away into the Victorian-era kingdom of Siam.

The glittering scenery and shimmering costumes caught the audience’s attention immediately, and with the band introducing the tone of each scene perfectly, the entire show tied together easily.

Within five minutes, both the adults and children had wowed the audience, as talented youngster Cole Walker, playing Anna’s son, Louis, and Jennifer sang ‘Whistle a Happy Tune’ flawlessly and professionally – and Jennifer especially blew us all away, hitting every note effortlessly.

Her mothering nature also clearly came through in her performance, and I think everyone would agree that Jennifer’s smile and comforting voice would calm anyone down in the face of a grumpy King!

The King’s many children – particularly first-time performer Jake Ivison, playing Prince Chulalongkorn – brought endless fun to the show, and the young actors were great, showing their characters’ cheekiness, eagerness or shyness brilliantly.

And speaking of shyness, Holly Harkness and Andrew McMinn’s portrayal of The King’s newest wife Tuptim and her true love Lun Tha was filled with cautious passion, and their forbidden love definitely pulls at the audience’s heartstrings.

Although every cast member added to the brilliance of the show, Holly’s striking voice deserves a mention of its own – I couldn’t help but feel like a Disney princess was performing on the stage in front of me, and it was magical.

Gillian Rothery’s calming presence was lovely to watch as Lady Thiang, and certainly impressed the crowd with her impressive accent and singing.

But of course, the story couldn’t have been brought to life without the props, wardrobe, sound and lighting, and everyone behind the scenes, and all those involved with WAOS should be proud of their amazing work.

The drama and beauty of the performance is undeniable, and as The King and I runs each evening until Saturday night (October 12), I’d highly recommend grabbing a ticket from the Carnegie Theatre website before they’re all gone – you’ll kick yourself if you don’t.