ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
DISNEY ’ S THE LION KING :
A MUST-SEE FAMILY SPECTACULAR
COMBINING THE INCREDIBLE VOCALS , ORCHESTRAL , CHOREOGRAPHIC AND PUPPETRY TALENTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL CAST WHICH SPAN FROM 17 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES , DISNEY ’ S THE LION KING IS A JAW-DROPPING MASTERPIECE OF COSTUME , STAGING AND MUSICAL THEATRICAL WIZARDRY .
© Deen van Meer © Catherine Ashmore
© Brinkhoff / Mögenburg
Taking our seats in the Royal Circle of the grand Lyceum Theatre , in the heart of Covent Garden , the excitement was palpable across the audience that included delighted youngsters eagerly clutching their stuffed toy Simbas , first-timers and repeat fans of the multi-awarding winning , box-office smashing musical ; all desperate to ‘ feel the love ’ of one of arguably the best stage productions … Ever !
Opening in the West End back in 1999 , Disney ’ s THE LION KING celebrated its twentieth anniversary in October 2019 . Now past its enforced covid hiatus , performances at the Lyceum Theatre recommenced in July 2021 , bringing with it a selection of over 14 new cast members including the welcome of Kayi Ushe as Simba .
Telling the story of the much-loved Disney classic , the show takes Young Simba , who along with friend Young Nala are played by a talented cast of junior actors , through to adulthood to claim his rightful place as King of the Pridelands , in a production which incorporates some of the most sophisticated puppetry and authentic African language , song and dance ever seen on stage .
Set to a soundtrack created by Elton John and Tim Rice , the production really has it all ; from the dark character of Scar played superbly by George Asprey ; the comedic partnership of popular Timon and Pumbaa brought to life by the equally talented and hilarious Jamie McGregor and Mark Roper with notable praise for Hakuna Matata ; the aww factor provided by the young cast ; the powerful performance of Kayi Ushe as Simba , adding to his previous credits in The Book of Mormon , Motown The Musical and Crazy For You , as well as ‘ Lola ’ in Kinky Boots ; the unrivalled talents of Gugwana Dlamini as Rafiki – which brought the largest cheers of the deserved standing ovation ; to a sensory delight of ‘ flying ’ birds , stampeding wildebeest and lifesize elephants . There are in fact some 232 puppets in the show , including rod , shadow and full-sized , representing 25 different species of animal , bird , fish and insects . The largest and longest animal in the show , the elephant , measures in at an astonishing 13 feet long and 9 feet wide and requires four actors to carefully walk her down the orchestra aisle – it is an incredible sight to behold . It is a testament to the cast and crew that each rousing scene received a fresh set of applause , so often only reserved for the final curtain .
Aside from demonstrating the circle of life , the production has also moved full circle for some of the cast too . With the ensemble now welcoming back four actors who previously played Young Nala and Simba .
Since the premiere of Julie Taymor ’ s internationally celebrated stage adaptation on Broadway in 1997 , THE LION KING has entertained more than 100 million theatregoers in 25 productions worldwide . When the show closed its doors in 2020 it was the West End ’ s best-selling stage production and the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time . The stage is now set for it to reclaim its rightful place as King !
Ticket information
Performances at the Lyceum Theatre , London are on sale now . Tickets can be purchased by visiting www . thelionking . co . uk or by calling 0800 912 6971 . Booking is available for shows until 3rd April 2022 for individuals and 22nd October 2022 for groups .
Disney ’ s THE LION KING Lyceum Theatre 21 Wellington Street London WC2E 7RQ
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