I’m entering the Lyceum Theatre in London’s West End, excited to watch The Lion King for the third time in two years. More than 2,000 people are sharing the auditorium with me, and together our anticipation creates the kind of buzz that has filled this space nightly for two decades.
A production of craft and intricacy, with each viewing I discover something that makes me admire the musical even more. It could be a new detail in one of the show’s magnificent puppets – there are 232 in total – or an undiscovered (by me, at least) quirk in the score that tugs on my heartstrings. It’s a familiar tale, one that transcends generations. But even hardcore fans will find new joys seeing it come to life on stage.
Immerse yourself in a reimagined Circle Of Life
A total of 31 cast members transform into the Pridelands’ animal court for a rousing performance that sets the tone for a truly immersive show. A three-metre tall Elephant, controlled by four actors, lollops through the audience to gasps of awe. Four actors portray 12 galloping gazelles, arms and heads adorned with puppet renderings of the graceful animals, while a dancer wearing a cheetah around her waist genuflects to the baby prince Simba. The stage itself comes to life too, with Pride Rock literally emerging from the stage floor.
Hear the lionesses’ cry in a brand new song, Shadowlands
Singing out above a chorus of lionesses chanting in Zulu, “Fatshe, leso lea halalela” [The land of our ancestors is holy], Nala mourns the destruction of the Pridelands under Scar’s reign, and vows to “remember my pride” as she sets out on a journey to find food for her family. Right now, the talented Janique Charles lends her vocals to the song, which is penned by Lebo M, Hans Zimmer and Mark Mancina. It’s just one example of how the stage show fleshes out the roles of female characters that were introduced in the classic film.
Admire the craft behind the show’s signature puppets and costumes
The Lion King features more than 350 costumes, designed by director Julie Taymor. All are handmade, from the life-size Timon puppet controlled by actor Jamie McGregor, to the 22 hand-beaded corsets worn by various animals in the Pridelands. The result? A captivating amalgamation of both humans and animals, often referred to as the “double event”.
The double event is inspired by techniques found in Bunraku puppetry – a 17th-century Japanese theatre form encountered by Taymor when travelling the world. The form makes both puppeteers and puppets visible to the audience, and applying it to The Lion King was a true labour of love; the production’s original puppets and masks took a combined 37,000 hours to build.
Marvel at the thrill of the hunt
Dancers dressed in billowing yellow garments and hand-painted masks capture the lionesses’ athleticism, love and unity in an exclusive scene that shows the circle of life in action. The poor gazelle didn’t stand a chance.
Feel your heart race as you watch that stampede scene
For many fans, the stampede that brings about Mufasa’s death (spoiler alert!) is The Lion King’s most tragic, emotional and iconic scene. In the theatrical production, the architectural stage design mimics jagged rocks while wildebeest are brought to life through shadowplay, puppetry and costume, taking the scene’s frantic energy to new, palpable heights.
Mourn Mufasa with Rafiki and the lionesses
Highlighting the storytelling role costume plays in this production, tears of transcluscent organza stream from the lionesses’ masks as they observe Mufasa’s lifeless body, while Rafiki serves as a spiritual guide for both the bereaved Pride and their fallen king. Here is a family at its most vulnerable, revealing a new perspective on the bonds that hold them together.
Relive the good old days with Mufasa and Zazu
Why does Mufasa, king of the Pridelands, strong and regal, keep Zazu, a diminutive old hornbill, in his innermost circle? This scene provides the answer. As the two meet following Simba’s encounter with the hyenas, we discover that Zazu watched over a young Mufasa, too. The scene shows an unbreakable bond between Mufasa and Zazu, which is scarcely explored outside of the stage production.
Feel the spirit of a multilingual show
There are seven languages spoken and sung in The Lion King – English, Swahili, Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, Congolese and Xhosa. This melange of languages, combined with pulsing African rhythms, adds another layer to The Lion King stage production – one that is texturally rich and arresting, even to an English-speaking monoglot.
The Lion King is at the Lyceum Theatre, London, and on a nationwide tour. Learn more about the show at thelionking.co.uk
