The Lion King Review

Lyceum Theatre, London.

Reviewed by Keiley Archer.

5*****

Running for an astonishing 19 years, The Lion King has been enchanting audiences of all ages at the Lyceum Theatre in London. The show follows the well-known story of young Simba and his journey to taking his place as King of the Jungle. The current cast includes Nick Afoa as Simba, Shaun Escoffery as Mufasa and George Asprey as Scar.

The theatrical adaptation combines the original, well-loved classics by Elton John and Tim Rice, like ‘Circle of Life’ and ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’, as well as incorporating in newer songs. A particular favourite of mine is ‘They Live in You’, which is performed by Mufasa to teach Simba about his ancestors who are watching over him.

The staging is cleverly used to recreate the iconic moments recognisable by fans of The Lion King film, such as Rafiki lifting baby Simba over Pride Rock and Mufasa’s projection in the stars telling Simba to “remember who you are”. It achieves this through the use of colourful puppetry, silhouettes, clever staging and opulent costumes working collaboratively to recreate the vast African landscape. This mix of techniques will mesmerise all members of the audience; younger viewers will be enthralled by the colours, Disney fans can enjoy the cleverly recreated iconography and regular theatre goers will be fascinated by the stunning production onstage.

Ultimately, The Lion King is an experience not to be missed and is one that is sure to have you planning your next trip the second you leave the theatre.