As a young child living in Trinidad and Tobago, Janique Charles’s first memory of The Lion King was watching the 1994 animated movie on VHS.
In the company of her aunt and little cousin, she became entranced by the visuals, storytelling and music, which has become instantly recognisable and a worldwide cultural phenomenon.
“I remember seeing this and thinking it’s really painful watching Simba cry for the death of his dad,” she recalls. “Especially with the music carrying the weight of it all. It’s just very emotional and that scene has stuck with me ever since.”
As an avid lover of everything from Pocahontas to The Little Mermaid, this bright-eyed Trinidadian girl was awestruck by the world of Disney that unravelled before her, meshing songs, storytelling and even dance into one – something the Caribbean talent connected to as she grew older and fell in love with theatre.
“I took part in a school production of West Side Story and from then on, I thought this is definitely for me.
“I really fell in love with performing, singing, drama – songwriting as well,” she says. “Although my mother wanted me to go down the more typical route in terms of academics, I was very passionate about it, so that’s what brought me here today.”
Despite her mother’s dreams of Charles attending the University of the West Indies, fate seemingly intervened. Disney came to Trinidad and Tobago in search of talent just as Charles was graduating from high school and presented the opportunity for her to play a character she had long admired from her youth.
“I remember seeing Heather Headley perform Shadowland on David Letterman. She did it so amazingly and it really pulled on my heartstrings,” she says.
“The way she portrayed Nala – from the music written, the way her pride of lionesses were fading away and stepping into the background as she was being blessed – it gives me chills whenever I think about it and perform it every night.
“What I wanted to do as a performer is connect with people on an emotional level and that certainly did it for me,” she says. “So I thought if I could play Nala, that would be a dream come true.”
Charles joined The Lion King musical in 2016, taking on the role of Nala – a rambunctious cub who grows into a courageous, loyal lioness living under tyranny and journeying far from home to find food and prosperity for the Pridelands.
“What I love about Nala is the fact that she’s a huntress and it’s really empowering thinking of a female character as that kind of role model,” says Charles.
“Also, when I play Nala in the second act, she finds Simba in the wilderness and initially he almost rejects her, but Nala doesn’t let that faze her.
“She left her home on a mission to find some kind of saving grace for her pride because that’s what she cared about and, as a woman in a foreign country, it’s really empowering to recognise that in her and to be able to play that.”
The emotional and physical weight of the role is something Charles appreciates more as she takes it on each night, but the process of becoming one of the lead actors of this large-scale production goes far beyond taking to the stage at the Lyceum Theatre.
“A typical day for me usually consists of hitting the gym, doing different strength and flexibility workouts, plyometrics, or taking dance classes,” says Charles. “I then go to vocal lessons to improve my technique.”
As they prepare for the show ahead, the cast enter the Lyceum Theatre to do vocal warm-ups.
“All the singers, dancers and principal actors gather around the piano to prepare ourselves vocally for the show. Then we’ll have a physical warm-up, and people go off and do different things that’ll help their bodies.”
Many actors will gather on the stage of the 2,100-seated theatre preparing physically and mentally for showtime. However, Charles does have a slight advantage that provides her with more preparation time.
“What’s great about my character is that she starts in the second act, as Nala is initially portrayed as a young cub and a different actor. So during the first act, I’m doing more of a warm-up for myself.”
As the show gets underway, Charles heads to the makeup room to transform into Nala, a process that takes around 40 minutes. This is followed by donning the iconic costume, including the notable mask that is placed above her head – the final element before she hits the stage.
“I still get nervous sometimes, but I’ve definitely calmed down,” she says.
While this process is repeated night after night, Charles’s highly active lifestyle makes room for variety. She writes music, does gymnastics classes and is also part of a group called Global Shapers, a network of young people driving dialogue and action to tackle social issues in the UK.
Charles’s personal beliefs, as someone who celebrates inclusivity, reflect those of The Lion King family – a production that features creatives of various nationalities and races – speaking to its intergenerational and diverse audience.
“Over the 20 years that The Lion King has been in London, loads of different people see it and continue to see it and I think it’s because the essence of the story is the loss of a king, a father, a leader – a theme that people can relate to regardless of how old you are,” she says.
“What I think people relate to is the humanness of the show that just reminds us of where we’ve come from and the things we’ve experienced.”
The beauty and tragedy of The Lion King does ring true to many as a story of loss, guilt and self-discovery. Beyond the tantalising musical performances, enthralling stage design and intricate puppetry, the “circle of life” is at its core and is reflected in a cast that has birthed new talent – taking them to new heights, as well as those who at one point or another moved on to new things.
“For our 20th anniversary, we had some of the alumni come to see the show,” says Charles.
“When we had a little afterparty, everyone’s names were imprinted on this huge board. It was really beautiful to see people who have come through – and we’ve loved and lost so many over the years but those people stay in our hearts,” she says.
“Your name really does live on when you are in this company and that covers loads of different ethnicities, ages and backgrounds. It just connects us all so it’s a really beautiful feeling.”
The Lion King is at the Lyceum Theatre, London, and on a nationwide tour. Learn more about the show at thelionking.co.uk
