With numbers like Some Enchanted Evening, A Cockeyed Optimist and I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair, the tune-packed musical South Pacific is one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s greatest successes. Yet they took considerable risks. Set on two Pacific islands during The Second World War, there is precious little action, especially to begin with.

And the way in which the storyline starkly confronts the issue of colour prejudice can cause gasps among audiences even nowadays.

The Lincoln Center production at the New Theatre gathered awards on Broadway, then had an acclaimed run at London's Barbican. Although slightly slimmed down for touring, with a 50-strong cast and orchestra this remains a big-scale production — it’s in no way related to the distinctly average version that toured to Oxford in 2007.

“Wow!” one of Oxford’s leading choral directors said to me in the interval. “The chorus singing is quite extraordinarily good.” Indeed it is, and so is the chorus’s pin-sharp execution of the dance routines (strangely, no choreographer is listed, unless it’s Christopher Gattelli, credited with musical staging). There is Nothin’ Like a Dame, for instance, really smacks you between the eyes and ears.

One thing becomes abundantly clear as the show proceeds. Director Bartlett Sher has employed all the care and attention to musical detail that you would expect in an opera production: the singing has been meticulously prepared. Jason Howard (a principal with Welsh National Opera) sings the role of mysterious Frenchman Emile de Becque superbly (he continues until December 20, when Paulo Szot takes over). Samantha Womack, playing Ensign Nellie Forbush, also puts in a stellar performance — the highs and lows of her relationship with Emile are movingly observed.

Forward from the Broadway run comes Loretta Ables Sayre, who has almost 2,000 performances as Bloody Mary under her belt. At first borne aloft by a couple of beefy sailors (pictured), she brings both vitality and anguish to the role — it’s typical of this production that Bloody Mary’s despair as her daughter (Elizabeth Chong) is unceremoniously dumped by American Lieutenant Cable (Daniel Koek) is counterbalanced by a hilarious scene in which two sailors flee full-bottom-on-view naked from the showers as the girls arrive.

The action is underpinned by top-notch playing from a 17-piece orchestra (director Jae Alexander). My sole niggle is that the sound amplification is a little too discreet at times. But make no mistake, this is a really first-rate show.

Until December 31. Tickets: 0844 871 3020 or www.atgtickets.com/oxford