One of the hardest things about putting together a production of South Pacific is the casting of Bloody Mary. She's the mother of Liat, the native girl who falls in love with a US soldier, and she's the lynchpin of the shows subplot.
Racial issues are an important part of the plot, so she has to look the part. She's a big, powerful matriarch with a gorgeous voice. Sheila Francisco ended Trevor Nunn's nightmare when he was looking for the right person to play Bloody Mary. He found her in the Philippines. She joins Jenni to about her role. South Pacific is on at the Royal National Theatre on London's South Bank until 27th April. The box office number is 020 7452 3000. We're on our Christmas holidays, so sorry but audio will not be available for individual items. Don't forget you can still hear the full programme by going to the Woman's Hour homepage or by going to the Listen Again page.
