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 over 50 talented performers and a full-scale orchestra.
Helen George, known to millions for the past decade as Trixie in the hit BBC One series Call The Midwife, will star as Anna Leonowens. Having trained at the Royal Academy of Music and the Birmingham School of Acting, Helen’s musical theatre credits include Company, Love Never Dies and The Woman In White.
Helen George said:
‘Theatre is my first love, and I am so excited to be returning to the stage for this beautiful, majestic production of The King and I. I was blown away when I saw Bartlett Sher’s staging of this wonderful show, so I can’t wait to work with him and the rest of the creative team to bring this timeless story back to the stage next year. Anna is such a strong, passionate and determined character, and I’m going to relish bringing her to life every night, as well as giving audiences all over the UK the chance to see this peerless Broadway and West End musical right on their doorstep.’
Broadway star and film actor Darren Lee (Hackers, Sisters, Chicago, Guys and Dolls) will play the title role of The King of Siam opposite Helen.
Joining Helen George and Darren Lee is Dean John-Wilson (London Palladium prodction 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.
The ensemble includes Chi Chan, Jeffrey Chekai, Emily Grace-Ling, Cher Nicolette Ho, Rachel Wang-Hei Lau, Daniel Len, Candy Ma, Rachel MacDougall, Amelia Kinu Muus, Yuki Ozeki, Kitt Pakapom, Prem Rai, Ria Tanaka, Hiromi Toyooka, Jasmine Triadi, Jensen Tudtud, Qinwen Xue and Jason Yang-Westland. Harry Altoft, Dexter Barry, Max Ivemey and Charlie McGuire will play Louis, Anna’s son. Bethany Campbell, Coco Bridger, Cody Concha, Ethan Fung, Dulcie-Bella Hackley, Caitlin Lau, Khun Cho Lwin, Angelica Quynh An Nguyen, Tenzin Noryang, Sabri Leonel Puci, Niall Rina, Francis Benedict Sarte, Mia Snowdon, Yuen Zhai and Phoebe Zhao-Welsh will play the Royal 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.
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.
Helen George will perform on Wednesday – Saturday performances.
Click here for more information and to book tickets.
