FOLLOWING LONDON PALLADIUM SOLD OUT SEASON
ANNOUNCING THE 2023 UK TOUR
The Lincoln Center Theater
production of
RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S
Winner of Four Tony Awards
including Best Musical Revival
Music by RICHARD RODGERS
Book and Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Directed by Tony Award Winner BARTLETT SHER
“I doubt I will ever see a better production in my lifetime”
WALL STREET JOURNAL
THE KING AND I is back! Following the critically acclaimed Broadway smash-hit run, its sold-out record breaking season at the world famous London Palladium and its previous record breaking UK and International tour, comes the announcement that the multi Tony Award-winning production will now embark on a new major UK tour from January 2023.
This unmissable, majestic production will open in Canterbury and then visit Wimbledon, Liverpool, Birmingham, Wycombe, Bristol, Dartford, Bradford, Southend, Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow. Casting will be announced later this year with further UK cities as well as a major international tour also to be announced.
The tour follows the cinema release of the live production of THE KING AND I: FROM THE LONDON PALLADIUM, which was the biggest live event in cinemas of 2018. More than 135,000 movie goers packed cinemas across the globe for the initial performance to watch THE KING AND I: FROM THE LONDON PALLADIUM – filmed on stage at the iconic London Palladium.
Acclaimed Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher will once again direct the production and be reunited with the celebrated creative team that brought this majestic production of THE KING AND I to life at the London Palladium. The critics heaped praise on Sher’s Palladium production, 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”.
Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical 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. With one of the finest scores ever written including: Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You and Shall We Dance, featuring a company of over 50 world-class performers, and full scale orchestra, THE KING AND I is a testament to the lavish heritage of gloriously romantic musical theatre – it is the greatest musical from the golden age of musicals.
Producer Howard Panter says: “We are delighted to take this majestic multi award-winning production of THE KING AND I on a major UK and international tour in 2023. The London Palladium season saw critical plaudits, Box Office records and standing ovations at every show – we were overwhelmed with the rapturous response. Coupled with the reaction to the Global cinema screenings of the film version – which was the biggest theatre event in cinemas of the year and number one at the Box Office. This really is musical theatre at its very best, so we are thrilled that we can now share this wondrous production with theatre lovers up and down the country next year.”
THE KING AND I – 2023 UK TOUR DATES
WC 30/01/23 Canterbury Marlowe Theatre
WC 06/02/23 Canterbury Marlowe Theatre
WC 13/02/23 Wimbledon New Theatre
WC 20/02/23 Liverpool Empire Theatre
WC 27/02/23 Birmingham Alexandra Theatre
WC 13/03/23 Wycombe Swan Theatre
WC 27/03/23 Bristol Hippodrome
WC 03/04/23 Dartford Orchard Theatre
WC 10/04/23 Bradford Alhambra Theatre
WC 17/04/23 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
WC 24/04/23 Cardiff New Theatre
WC 08/05/23 Manchester Palace Theatre
WC 15/05/23 Glasgow Kings Theatre
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Website: KingandIMusical.co.uk
Twitter: @KingandIMusicalUK
Facebook: @KingandIMusicalUK
Instagram: @KingandIMusicalUK
WHAT THE UK PRESS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE KING AND I:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Five stars for a sumptuous King and I. Book Now. It’s a hit”
The Times
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Songs, sentiment and spectacle. Sher’s production delivers these in spades”
Sunday Express
★★★★
“We left the London Palladium on a bright cloud of music – joyous!”
Daily Mail
★★★★
“Looks and sounds ravishing. Complete rapture”
Daily Telegraph
★★★★
“Simply spellbounding!”
Financial Times
“Without doubt the big, glitzy musical of the summer!”
Metro
“Fit for a King!”
Daily Express