Martin Luther King musical staged in a concert version starring Sharon D Clarke and Cedric Neal

A new concert staging of King, the musical about the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, is to open at Hackney Empire, in the 50th anniversary year of the legend's death.

King, written by the late Martin Smith, will be directed by Susie McKenna in a co-production between Hackney Empire and the London Musical Theatre Orchestra. The piece will star Cedric Neal (Motown the Musical, Chess) as Martin Luther King Jr, Debbie Kurup (The Bodyguard) as Coretta King and Sharon D Clarke (Caroline, or Change) as Alberta King.

The piece tells the story of King's marriage to Coretta Scott and their lives together fighting for the rights of African American people in the US.

This is LMTO's latest concert staging since its inception two years ago. The orchestra has performed eight public concerts and worked with artists including Robert Lindsay, Samantha Barks, Michael Xavier, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Natasha Barnes.

Smith's other musicals include Something's Afoot, The Umbrellas of Cherboug and City of Angels.

The concert takes place on 30 June and 1 July.