The Lion King Musical at The Lyceum Theatre

Join little Simba, the next king of the Pride, in his fight to take his rightful place on the throne. Simba the lion cub is looking forward to becoming the king of the Pride. But his wicked Uncle Scar scuppers his plans and when tragedy strikes, Simba runs away, leaving Uncle Scar and the nasty hyenas in charge. Under their mis-management, the Pride Lands soon become barren and everyone who lives there is in big trouble. Can Simba and his good friends Timon and Pumbaa solve the problem, and can he restore the essential Circle of Life?

If there is one thing Disney knows what to do it is put on a big show., whether that is at its parks, in its films or in its broadway and West End shows. This journey into theatre spectacles started with the Disney classic, The Lion King which has existed in theatres worldwide since 1997 and has held strong in the West End since 1999.

The Lion King musical is not an obvious theatre adaptation, with its telling the dramatic story of a lion’s fight for succession and consisting of a huge menagerie of animals taking part in the circle of life. Yet here Disney uses traditional African dress, dance and music styles as well as other techniques from around the world to bring these animals to life in a way that just somehow works. Utilising traditional styles centres this in the real world which helps anchor the difference between stage and screen.

The inventive use of large-scale sets to create the huge open world of the Savanna is so intelligently thought through and similarly the uses of traditional puppetry and shadow work to convey big scenes that would otherwise be hard to portray on a stage

Story wise there are few script changes between the source material and the theatrical production and there are some scenes which might be a little confusing if you aren’t familiar with the film but it’s not enough to deter the audience. It’s a great show for all ages and will remain a family favourite for years to come.

The Lion King musical is on at The Lyceum Theatre and is currently booking until February 2023, tickets start from £30 from London Box Office.