The world’s favourite unofficial royal, the legendary Will Smith has made the exciting announcement that he will be visiting London’s West End for a one night only appearance on his five city tour – Will: An Evening of Stories with Friends.
Will: An Evening of Stories with Friends
The show is set to take place at London’s Savoy Theatre on 18th November and outline the Grammy Award-winning rapper and Academy Award-nominated actor’s fascinating biographic story which saw him rise from a young TV star to conquer both the music world and the Hollywood movie industry as one of today’s biggest well-loved stars. The show’s write up describes the experience as:
Will Smith’s transformation from a West Philadelphia kid to one of the biggest rap stars of his era and then one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood history is an epic tale – but it’s only half the story.
For the first time, Will Smith opens up fully about his life, tracing his learning curve to a place where outer success, inner happiness, and human connection are aligned. Joined by special guests, this will be an unforgettable evening sharing the profound journey that self-knowledge brings, a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind.
Every ticket includes a copy of Will Smith’s memoir, WILL, written with the help of Mark Manson, author of the multi-million-copy bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
If London is across the pond from where you are, then there are other dates in the USA where the show will be starting. The first performance kicks off in Will Smith’s hometown of Philadelphia on 8th November, followed by shows at Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles before culminating in the West End.
Tickets for the London performance are available here from 3pm UK time on Friday 1st October 2021.
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Revamp
In other exciting Will Smith related news, it was announced earlier in September that the role of the young Will had been given to newcomer Jabari Banks in the long-anticipated reboot of the classic sitcom. The original series which ran from 1990 – 1996 (has it really been that long?) will be launched on streaming platform Peacock in 2022 and is to be produced by Will and wife Jada Pinkett Smith in collaboration with Universal Television.
Interestingly, the reboot is not going to be a carbon copy of the original, which was often light-hearted although it did deal with some more prevalent social and more serious issues. The new show has been described as being more in the genre of drama as opposed to comedy as Banks’ character, Will, is set to face “conflicts and racial issues as he relocates from rough West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Bel-Air in Los Angeles”.
“Set in modern-day America, Bel-Air is a serialized dramatic analogue of the 90’s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” that leans into the original premise: Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.”
You can check out the moment that Will Smith told the young Jabari Banks that he had in fact got the role of Will in the show in this heart-warming video from Peacock that explains,
“This is a story all about how Will Smith turned Jabari Banks’ life upside down. Watch as Smith surprises Banks and breaks the life-changing news that he has been cast in the iconic role of “Will”. Look out world, there’s a new Prince of Bel-Air in town.”
Also by Michelle Sciarrotta:
Accessibility At The Smith Center Series: Part One
James “Fitz” FitzSimmons Interview: The Boys In The Band On Netflix