Naoko Mori Joins The West End Cast Of THE KING & I

The producers of The King and I, which opens at the London Palladium next month, have announced Japanese actress Naoko Mori, who has worked extensively across stage, television and film, will share the role of Lady Thiang.

Opening on 21 June 2018 (Press Night on 3 July 2018) for a limited engagement until 29 September, The King and I will also star two of the original Lincoln Center Theater lead actors: Tony Award winner and "Broadway musical's undisputed Queen" (Sunday Times) Kelli O'Hara as Anna Leonowens and film star, Oscar and Tony nominee Ken Watanabe, in the title role of The King of Siam. With music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, The King and I - which won four Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical on Broadway - is one of Rodgers & Hammerstein's finest works, this masterpiece boasts a score featuring such beloved classics as Getting To Know You, Hello Young Lovers, Whistle A Happy Tune, Shall We Dance, I Have Dreamed, and Something Wonderful. 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 imperious King brings to Siam to tutor his many wives and children.