The Lion King

If any film has ever been considered impossible to stage it must have been this one. A cast of African animals talking and singing to each other set can’t have been the most obvious choice for translation into a theatrical setting and yet The Lion King has been a phenomenal success. In order to work, it was clearly going to have to re-write convention and come up with its own rules and that is exactly what has happened. Very few things in life can still your breath away; this show is one of them.

Animals are created by a series of wonderful physical performers who are transformed into their characters by incredible costumes and living props which are sculptured around them. In the performance which I saw, applause broke out about 30 seconds into the first scene and audible gasps could be heard throughout people were simply stunned by the creation of cheetahs and lions and hippos through convention-busting technical expertise. Any descriptions do not do justice to the visual feast that is this show; it has to be seen to be appreciated, perhaps even to be believed.

Nearing the 10th anniversary of its arrival on the West End the show belies with its technical innovation and stunning set pieces such as the murder of Mufasa by Scarface and the final battle between the latter and new king Simba.

Interestingly the whole show has a much more African feel to it than the Disney movie did. Lots of the songs have been made over with tribal chants and traditional music whilst a couple of new songs make an appearance, mostly successfully. This Africanisation of the piece is both welcomed and necessary as it has clearly allowed the designers to evoke the rich natural tapestry of the Serengeti. The Lion King has grown up on stage, no longer just a children’s film, it will beguile adults with its fantastical wonder as well. Theatre tickets for the show at the Lyceum range from around £20 to anything up to £60 depending on which day you go and, as always with a show like this, there are always going to be more children in the matinee performances which mean perhaps the audience might not be as quiet as you would wish.

This really is a show everyone should see but, however visually arresting it is, do not take photographs or you may be asked to leave.