Don't Miss One of the Greats From The Golden Age of Musicals at Newcastle Theatre Royal
The multi Tony Award-winning production of The King and I is coming to Newcastle Theatre Royal
This gloriously lavish production will be 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.
Broadway star and film actor Darren Lee (Hackers, Sisters, Chicago, Guys and Dolls) will play the title role of The King of Siam, a role he first played in New York in 2016.
'I started my career primarily as a dancer,' says Lee, 'but growing up as an Asian American performer you know that there is this role, and it sits within the top five to ten shows of classic musicals.'
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 brings Anna to teach his children English because he’s concerned that being a tiny country it is very easily swallowed up by other countries,' says Darren Lee.
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 critical acclaim for Bartlett Sher’s production has been phenomenal. When the show opened at the London Palladium in 2018, West End critics heaped praise on the show: the Daily Mail 'left the London Palladium on a bright cloud of music', while the The Times awarded the show 'Five stars for a sumptuous King and I' declaring it 'a hit'. Daily Express hailed it 'London’s theatrical event of 2018' whilst The Daily Telegraph concurred proclaiming the show 'looks and sounds ravishing'. Another five stars were awarded from the Sunday Express and the Financial Times called it 'simply spellbinding'.
The King and I plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal Tuesday 23rd–Saturday 27th May 2023 playing evenings at 7.30pm and matinees Wednesday and Thursday at 2pm and Saturday at 2.30pm. Tickets can be purchased at theatreroyal.co.uk or by calling 0191 232 7010.
