‘King James’ play coming to Hampstead Theatre in London
A new play about the friendship between two men and their mutual passion for basketball and LeBron James (aka King James) will have its UK premiere in London this autumn.
Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph, King James is an exploration of passion, friendship and fandom. It runs from 15 November to 4 January at Hampstead Theatre, NW3.
The story starts just as the fortunes of the Cavaliers are about to change: James has been drafted by Cleveland. But when superfan Matt’s latest business venture turns sour, he has to sell his most prized possession – his pair of Cavs season tickets. The buyer, Shawn, just sold his first short story – so watching his team in the flesh for the first time will be a sweet reward. He just has to figure out what to do with that second ticket.
Thrown together by chance, the next 12 years prove as defining, dramatic, and sometimes heart-breaking for Matt and Shawn as they do for the Cavs – and for James.
Talking about the spark that inspired his play, writer and Cavs fan Rajiv Joseph says:
“I’ve been a Cleveland sports fan my whole life, which is a terrible fate. I have often wondered why people like me put themselves through the heartbreak and disappointment of rooting for teams that continually lose. I also have always wondered what it is exactly about sports fandom that is so persistent in our culture (both in the US and globally). I think a lot of men (in the US and globally) have a difficult time expressing themselves emotionally to each other, but find a way to do it—a language or a code—through sports.”
King James will be directed by Alice Hamilton who adds:
“King James is a story of male friendship and about how people can be united by sport even if they’ve nothing else in common. It both is and isn’t about basketball and we hope the uninitiated will find just as much to enjoy as die-hard fans. Rajiv Joseph brilliantly takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride, capturing the highs and lows of fandom in a wonderfully moving play about forging human connections and lifelong friendships.”
Starring as Matt and Shawn is Sam Mitchell, who was last seen in the West End in To Kill A Mockingbird, and Ényì Okoronkwo who made waves recently with Renegade Nell for Disney+ and the BAFTA award-winning Giri/Haji for the BBC.
Multi-award-winner Rajiv Joseph returns to Hampstead Theatre with a play-by-play look at how friendship and supporting a team intersect.
King James plays Hampstead Downstairs from 15 November to 4 January. Tickets start at £10 and are available from hampsteadtheatre.com.
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