This year marks 50 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr
and 30 years since the first performance of the late Martin Smith’s
acclaimed musical KING. Hackney Empire, in co-production with London
Musical Theatre Orchestra, presents a special concert version for two
performances only by kind permission of Nick Fiveash.

Appearing in this concert version of KING will be a cast of West End stars
including Cedric Neal (Motown the Musical, Chess) as Martin Luther King
Jr., Sharon D. Clarke (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Caroline, or Change, Sleeping Beauty) as Alberta King and Debbie Kurup (The Bodyguard, Girl from the North Country, Jack and the Beanstalk) as Coretta King.  Alexander Hanson plays John F. Kennedy and Clive Carter will play J. Edgar Hoover. They are joined by Carole Stennett  as Rosa Parks, Adam J. Bernard  as Stokely Carmichael and Matt Dempsey  as Robert Kennedy, Naana Agyei- Ampadu, Daniel Bailey, John Barr, Angela Caesar, Raffaella Covino, Adrian Hansel, Olivia Hibbert, Sinead Long, Jo Servi, Cavin Cornwall and Johnathan Tweedie.

KING is directed by Susie McKenna with new orchestrations by Simon Nathan.  The concert will feature features Hackney
Empire’s renowned Community Choir, directed by Joseph Roberts. Joining them is the London Musical
Theatre Orchestra (LMTO) conducted by Freddie Tapner. Following on from  the five star success of Mack and Mabel, the LMTO are delighted to be returning to Hackney Empire.