Following a critically acclaimed Broadway smash-hit run, a sold-out season at the London Palladium (which resulted in the biggest global live event cinema release of 2018) and a previous record-breaking UK and International tour, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I returns to delight audiences at Leeds Grand Theatre from 31 October to 4 November 2023.
Seasoned musical theatre star Annalene Beechey (The King And I UK & International Tour, Marguerite, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera) will reprise the role of Anna Leonowens, joining Broadway star and film actor Darren Lee (Hackers, Sister, Chicago, Guys and Dolls) who will play the title role of The King of Siam.
This gloriously lavish production is brought to the stage by an internationally renowned creative team under Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, My Fair Lady, To Kill a Mockingbird) and will feature a world-class company of talented performers and a full-scale orchestra.
Joining Darren Lee and Annalene Beechey is Dean John-Wilson (London Palladium production of The King and I, Aladdin) who will reprise his role as Lun Tha, Marienella Phillips (Henry V, Carmen) who will play Tuptim alongside Cezarah Bonner who returns as Lady Thiang, the King’s head wife, Kok-Hwa Lie (2020 UK Tour of The King And I, Rent) will play the role of Kralahome, Caleb Lagayan (Les Misérables) will play Prince Chulalongkorn, Sam Jenkins-Shaw (The Night Watch, Jane Eyre) takes the role of Captain Orton/Sir Edward Ramsay and Maria Coyne (Phantom of the Opera, Wicked) will be the Alternate Anna.
Set in 1860s Bangkok, The King and I tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.
The King and I is a sumptuous, timeless romance from the golden age of musicals, adored by the public and critics alike – and boasting one of the finest scores ever written, including Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You, and Shall We Dance.
The King and I is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 31 October to Saturday 4 November 2023. Book tickets online at leedsheritagetheatres.com or call the Box Office on 0113 243 0808
Leeds Heritage Theatres
Leeds Heritage Theatres is Leeds Grand Theatre, City Varieties Music Hall and Hyde Park Picture House. A charitable trust, together we are united by a single cause; to bring people together, create the extraordinary and provide a positive environment in which to entertain and educate.
Leeds Grand Theatre
Built in 1878 by architect George Corson, Leeds Grand Theatre is a major milestone in Victorian design; famed for its sumptuous interior, plasterwork and other decorative features.
Seating 1466 at full capacity, the auditorium provides a home for performances of all types, including its resident companies Opera North and Northern Ballet. Since its Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council supported ‘transformation’ in 2006, the theatre has hosted the best of the West End and other touring productions, including large musicals, drama from the National Theatre, comedians and music. The theatre played host to the world premieres of Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s, The Girls (2015), and Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends The Musical (2017) and Band of Gold (2019).
Education
Our learning and engagement programme – including our Youth Theatre, curriculum-linked schools’ workshops and training provision of placements and apprenticeships – enables young people from across the city to access the arts, be creative, build confidence and develop skills using the rich resources of our heritage venues.
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Website: www.leedsheritagetheatres.com
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Facebook: @leedsgrandtheatre
