The West End production of The King and I returns this month for its second screening in cinemas
Updated on 4 April 2019
Returning to the silver screen this Thursday, 4 April 2019, courtesy of Trafalgar Releasing is none other than the triumphant London Palladium production of The King I – last year's West End revival that starred Kelli O'Hara as Anna and Ken Watanabe as the King of Siam. If you happened to miss the acclaimed Rodgers and Hammerstein musical both on the London theatre stage and in cinemas (how naughty of you), you now have the opportunity to catch this must-see story of East meets West, or West End meets UK cinemas, rather. Tickets for the second screening of The King and I are currently available for die-hard London theatre fans. Don't miss it!
London Palladium's The King and I in cinemas 4 April 2019!
Due to phenomenal demand and after becoming the biggest selling cinema event for London theatre in 2018, Trafalgar Releasing's screening of The King and I West End revival is back in cinemas this Thursday, 4 April 2019. Last year's worldwide screening, which took place on 29 November, was the highest-grossing film in cinemas that day, even crushing ticket sales for the Harry Potter blockbuster spin-off, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, by two-fold. Film distributor Trafalgar Releasing predicts that the upcoming screening for The King and I will rake in nearly £2 million at the box office with approximately 135,000 people expected to attend.
Following the screening this week, The King and I will also embark on a tour in Manchester in late April.
About The King and I musical and film screening
The film preserves 2018's London Palladium run of the original 2015 New York Lincoln Center production, which took home four Tony Awards out of nine nominations in 2015, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Kelli O'Hara as Anna Leonowens), and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Ruthie Ann Miles as Lady Thiang). The West End Palladium production broke box office records when it premiered in June 2018 and went on to become the highest-grossing week in the venue's history since it first opened its doors in 1910.
The King and I synopsis
The King and I is a heartwarming story that has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of theatregoers. The King of Siam (Oscar and Tony Award-nominated Ken Watanabe) summons Welsh teacher and widow Anna Leonowens (Kelli O'Hara) to teach his children Western customs in a bid to alter the image of the Royal Family of Siam and to modernise the kingdom. But what seems like an innocent opportunity to work abroad for Anna soon turns into a clash of culture and traditions, all whilst The King and Anna succumb to a love affair riddled with taboo. Riding on a high tension plot, The King and I also includes such fan favourite songs as 'Shall We Dance', 'Getting to Know You' and 'Whistle a Happy Tune' to help soothe the mood.
Will The King and I return to the West End in 2020?
Given the musical's track record and overwhelming ticket sales, The King and I production team would be sorely missing out on a huge financial opportunity if they were to not bring the show back to London's West End. The demand exists, but we'll leave it on our #WestEndWishList for now and keep our fingers crossed.
By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
Ephram is a jack of all trades and enjoys attending theatre, classical music concerts and the opera.