A gem of classic musical theatre, The King and I is in top form as it embarks on a sparkling UK tour. Brimming with humour and character growth, Bartlett Sher’s production is a less menacing version of the show which still provides all you could ask for in a night out at the theatre.
Hitting the road: Love London Love Culture offers a guide to shows touring in 2023
Remember it’s not just the West End where excellent shows can be found. Here’s a guide to some of the shows we can’t wait to catch on tour.
NEWS: Trafalgar Entertainment announces plans for a major new theatre to be built in London
Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International (DFI) – developers of the £1.3 billion regeneration of Olympia – have announced a major agreement with Trafalgar Entertainment to run the site’s new 1,575-seat theatre. The theatre will be the largest new permanent theatre build of its kind to open in London since the National Theatre in 1976.
‘I don’t want to forget the shows that happened’: A reflection on theatre in 2020
I resolutely wasn’t doing a round up for 2020. I mean what on earth were we going to round up? This year has, with no exaggeration, broken our hearts in theatre. There’s no other way to put it. We watched our industry disappear overnight. We…
NEWS: Productions including Kinky Boots & 42nd Street are made available on new streaming platform Stage2View
The first stage shows to be released on brand new streaming platform Stage2View will include the critically acclaimed, Tony and Olivier Award-winning productions of Kinky Boots and An American In Paris, as well as the recent Drury Lane production of 42nd Street.
‘Deserves to be remembered for years to come’: THE KING & I – Touring ★★★★★
The collective charisma of the cast in a stunning production of The King and I earns a well-deserved standing ovation.
Will Broadway musicals dominate the West End in 2019?: Mark Shenton offers his round-up of the week ahead in London & New York
Mark Shenton offers a wrap-up of news from the West End, Broadway and Edinburgh, including the West End transfer of Waitress, Edward Hall saying farewell to Hampstead Theatre and Laura Benanti joining My Fair Lady on Broadway.
Mark recaps last week: Ruthie Ann Miles, Ian McKellen, Moulin Rouge, big openings & best reviews
From news headlines and Twitter gems to must-read columns and the biggest openings in London, New York and Edinburgh, Mark Shenton – currently resident in Provincetown, Massachusetts for the summer – rounds up the most interesting theatre goings-on that made his finely tuned radar. Ian McKellen, Rosemary Harris, Laura Wade, Mark Rylance, Dominic Dromgoole and desperate EdFringe review pleas all feature this week…
‘Really, the old show could hardly be bettered’: THE KING & I – West End ★★★★★
Really, The King & I could hardly be bettered. Beautiful staging without exaggeration, a real spark between O’Hara and Watanabe, and perfect support.
‘Something wonderful indeed’: THE KING & I – West End ★★★★
Notwithstanding high expectations, together with The King & I’s difficult issues that are made even more complex in a modern world of evolving values, this transfer of the 2015 Broadway revival does not disappoint.
‘There is something extraordinary about how Kelli O’Hara sings’: THE KING & I – West End ★★★★
Kelli O’Hara trails a cloud of Broadway success and redefines the role of Anna in The King & I in a way that lays the ghost of previous incumbents and outshines all our homegrown talent.
‘A sublimely exquisite staging of a classic’: THE KING & I – West End ★★★★★
This production is a sublimely exquisite staging of a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein show. All hail Broadway Queen Kelli O’Hara for bringing her inimitable characterisation and vocal supremacy to her portrayal of Anna
NEWS: Japanese TV star Takao Osawa joins the West End cast of The King and I
Takao Osawa, the multi-award-winning actor and star of one of Japan’s most popular television series Jin, will join the cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I to play Kralahome, trusted adviser to The King of Siam, when the smash hit musical transfers from Broadway to the London Palladium on 21 June 2018 (press night is 3 July).
NEWS: Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Miles reprises her Broadway role in West End The King & I
Ruthie Ann Miles will reprise her Tony Award-winning and critically acclaimed Broadway role of Lady Thiang in the West End production of THE KING AND I.
What were our Top 10 news stories in November 2017?
As it’s the first of the month, we’re taking a brief moment to remind ourselves of the biggest news stories from the month just closed. What were the headlines that got readers clicking most? Any surprises? Our Top 10 News stories from November 2017 are listed below with summaries and links to read more.