Advertisement

'The Empire Strikes Back' to play the Royal Albert Hall with a live orchestra

Yoda and Luke Skywalker trade Force banter in <i>Empire Strikes Back</i>. (20th Century Fox)
Yoda and Luke Skywalker trade Force banter in Empire Strikes Back. (20th Century Fox)

The Royal Albert Hall has added Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back to its 2019 Films In Concert series.

The acclaimed Star Wars sequel will play with full, live orchestral accompaniment for the first time ever in the UK this September. The film will play the iconic London venue for five performances, with John Williams’ Oscar-nominated score performed live on stage by the acclaimed Philharmonia Orchestra.

Lucy Noble, Artistic Director at the Royal Albert Hall, said: “We were delighted to host the UK premiere of Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert last year, one of the most requested films in the ten years that we’ve been hosting Films in Concert. We’re ecstatic that Star Wars is coming back this year, with the most critically-acclaimed and musically ground-breaking movie in the series.”

The Empire Strikes Back, first released in 1980, is often cited as the best Star Wars film by fans. It sees the Rebellion on the run from the Empire following the destruction of the Death Star. It introduces fan favourite characters Yoda, Lando Calrissian, and Boba Fett, it has the big Darth Vader revEAL, and it ends on one heck of a cliffhanger.

‘Star Wars’ producers recently halted the unannounced Boba Fett standalone film (20th Century Fox)
‘Star Wars’ producers recently halted the unannounced Boba Fett standalone film (20th Century Fox)

Star Wars IX, the final film in the sequel trilogy, will hit cinemas in December.

The five performances will take place on Saturday 21 September (2:30pm & 7:30pm), Sunday 22 September (1:30pm & 6:30pm), and Monday 23 September (7:30pm).

The Films in Concert series celebrates its 10th birthday this year. Since 2009, the shows have sold a total of 498,924 tickets – the lucky 500,000th ticket-buyer is set to receive a special prize.

Tickets are on sale at 9am on Friday from www.royalalberthall.com, with a Wednesday pre-sale for the venue’s Friends and Patrons.

Previous films to have showcased in the Films In Concert series include Home Alone, Jurassic Park, Gladiator, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.


Read more
Star Wars IX has wrapped
Star Wars TV series cast announced
Episode 9 to address Fisher’s death ‘beautifully’