|
Tue 21 February - Sat 25 February 2012
Press night: Tue 21 February, 7.30pm
Leicester Curve’s acclaimed production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s smash hit musical The King and I, directed by Paul Kerryson, stars Ramon Tikaram as The King, well known for his roles as Qadim in EastEnders and Ferdy in BBC drama This Life. Double Olivier Award-nominated actress, Josefina Gabrielle, will play the part of British governess Anna.
The King’s children will be played by young people from all over Manchester and the North West. Over 130 talented children, with a love of performing arts, auditioned at The Lowry to become one of The King’s many sons and daughters. The candidates had 45 minutes to showcase their acting, dancing and singing skills to a panel of experts who eventually selected the 32 children who are to take to The Lowry’s stage.
Six of the successful performers are from Salford, three are members of The Lowry Young Actors Company, and 12 were from Stagecoach Salford/Didsbury. The other successful performers were from Centre Pointe Manchester, The Hammond School Chester and various local private dance and drama schools.
Matthew Rawcliffe, aged 12, from Northenden in Manchester, was one of the successful candidates who has been involved with The Lowry Young Actors Company, which gives talented young people the chance to work with industry professionals.
Matthew said, “After working on projects in Salford and with The Lowry, and being familiar with its history, I just want to be part of the whole process of the performance and l look forward to working with such a fabulous cast”.
The King and I tells the heart-warming story of the British governess brought to the court of Siam to tutor the King’s many children, told using one of the most beautiful scores ever written with sweeping melodies such as Shall We Dance, I Whistle A Happy Tune, Hello Young Lovers, The March of the Siamese Children and the unforgettable Getting To Know You.
The King and I is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicals of all time, with a glorious soundtrack which remains a best seller today. It has been seen by millions of people across the world since it was first performed in 1951 when it was showered with awards and became a blockbuster Hollywood movie.
|
|
The Lowry Information & Box Office
Telephone 0843 2086005
www.thelowry.com
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ
Twitter @The_Lowry
Facebook www.facebook.com/TheLowrySalford
Notes to Editor
Media Enquiries
For media enquiries please contact Aimee Wood, Media Relations Executive.
Tel 0161 876 2044
E: aimee.wood@thelowry.com
For Images
For images please go to www.thelowryimages.com
New users need to register by clicking on ‘register’ on the left hand side of the page, fill in the required information (which includes creating your own password) and click ‘create account’. You will then have immediate access to the image library.
For The King and I, please go to All Albums>Theatres>Musicals>The King and I
The Lowry Young Actors Company
The Lowry Young Actors Company gives talented young people, aged 11-16 years old, the chance to explore their potential, giving them the opportunity to work with industry professionals, national and international artists, as well as directors and writers.
For more information on how to join The Lowry Young Actors Company, please go to
http://www.thelowry.com/event/the-lowry-young-actors-company-auditions3
About the Production
The King and I is directed by Paul Kerryson, with choreography by David Needham and musical direction by Julian Kelly. Designed by Sara Perks with lighting design by Philip Gladwell and sound design by Ben Harrison. It has original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett and new orchestrations by Julian Kelly. The King and I is based on the novel ‘Anna and the King Of Siam’ by Margaret Landon, and is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited on behalf of R&H Theatricals of New York.
The King and I is produced by John Stalker for and on behalf of Music and Lyrics Limited, a new nationwide consortium comprised of the UK’s major independent touring theatres. It aims to champion musical theatre in all its forms and provide extended life to productions created by the UK’s major producing theatres. For The King and I, Music and Lyrics has received generous financial support from Arts Council England to support a major audience development project aimed at young audiences and non-traditional theatres goers.
The Cast
The cast features Claire-Marie Hall as ‘Tup-Tim’, Adrian Li Donni as ‘Lun-tha’, Maya Sapone as ‘Lady Thiang’, Nicholas Goh as ‘Kralahome’, and Gary Wood as ‘Prince Choulalonghorn’. The rest of the cast includes Craig Turbyfield, Rowan Lewis Mitchell, Aiko Kato, Makato Leahy, Charlotte Humphrey, Naomi Bailie, Farrah Hussain, Kaho Uchida, Misa Koide, Adam Denman, Matthew Cheney, Lori Hayley Fox, and Yuki Ikezawa.
Ramon Tikaram – The King
Roman Tikaram is a stage and screen actor who is probably best known as Ferdy in the BBC drama This Life, and Qadim in EastEnders. His other TV credits include Casualty, Primeval, Wired and The Mighty Boosh. Ramon’s West End theatre credits include Bombay Dreams, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Gaddafi in Gaddafi – A Living Myth at English National Opera, Genie in Aladdin at the Old Vic Theatre and Rama in Ramayana at the National Theatre.
Josefina Gabrielle - Anna
Josefina is a double Olivier Award-nominated stage and screen actress, whose career spans the West End and Broadway. Josefina most famously starred alongside Hugh Jackman in Trevor Nunn’s iconic National Theatre production of Oklahoma!, receiving an Olivier Award-nomination for ‘Best Actress in a Musical’ for her performance. She later starred in the same production when it transferred to the West End and Broadway. Most recently in the West End Josefina has played Lily in Park Avenue Cat, Nicky/Ursula in Sweet Charity, Annabella Schmidt/Pamela/Margaret in The 39 Steps, Roxie Hart in Chicago, Alex Spofford in The Witches of Eastwick and Iris in the original cast of Fame. Her many other stage credits include Irene in Hello Dolly at Regent’s Park, Cathy in Singin' in the Rain at Sadler’s Wells, Cassie in A Chorus Line at Sheffield Crucible, Dot in Sunday In The Park With George at Leicester Haymarket and Carousel at the National Theatre.
|