I saw the Lion King film when it first came out. I was young, very young! Having seen the film since, I thought it was mediocre. When I heard there was an adaption for the stage, I immediately thought 'no'. But since it warpped around a trip to London, I thought I would give it a go. And I am glad I did so.
Since Lion King was an animated film, it was interesting the way the actors brought the characters to life through extremely skilled puppetry. One disadvantage, you would think, was that you would see the human controlling the puppet. In fact, the actor was in full show, faces and all, and they used this 'problem'. By being separate, but as one, meant they could banter even with their own character.
The acting, to say the least, was brilliant, with a very talented cast, as I have described with the puppetry. The young Simba I must confess is a bit of brat, but the girls I was with certainly liked older Simba. The costumes of the actors are also brilliant, with a very very impressive opening ... I won't spoil it for you!
This is a musical. I don't like musicals. However, I have to take an exception of my hatred and applaud The Lion King. The African music is brilliant and the singers, on the whole, good (a very limited few are off tune).
Whilst on the subject of music, I was extremely impressed by the live orchestra, which included bongos. The quality of the music was first class and the lack of a backing track to sing to was extremely impressive. Believe me, I have played in an orchestra for a stage adaptation of Oliver and it is very hard to get it all together.
Scene changes can be a pain. Nobody wants to wait. The producers of The Lion King had a solution. Get a big coloured cloth, and have silhouttes of animals walking in the African pride. The effect created is brilliant.
The theatre in which it is set, the Lyceum, is a brilliant theatre. The only trouble is that it is a bit cramped, especially the bar. The ladies also had a long queue for the toilet. The interior is very decorative and complimentary to the play. It is located on Wellington Street, a small road off the Strand inthe West End Theatreland, so right in the heart of London. Having arrived there by coach the traffic was the usual London standard! Parking is not advisable, although there is NCP car parking in Drury Lane. It is probably best to park at a tube station and travel into London. The nearest tube stations are Covent Garden (Piccadilly) and Holborn (Central/Piccadilly) and the 14, 19, 24, 29, 38 and 176 buses pass regular. The acoustics of the hall are also good, with amplifiers, ensuring you hear everything.
The area around the theatre has many restauants and bars, so any after-performance drinks are not too far away! If you have kids, as long as they are accompanied, they should be fine after dark. There is a matinee performace, which would be more convenient for parents as children can get tired on late night sessions.
This is a play for all ages, from the very youngest children - no bad language, with the exception of "fart", if you find it offensive. The older generation will find it equally enjoyable. As far as I could see there wasn't disabled access, although if you phone I'm sure they could arrange something. Tickets are around £30 and upwards and well worth it.
Overall, I have to say I was extremely impressed by this musical and would love to see it again, if only to watch with awe at the brilliant characters, both puppets and actors! Very good, especially given it's a Disney production, which I would normally snub!!
For more information visit http://www.disney.co.uk/MusicalTheatre/TheLionKing/
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Apr 14th, 2002
(Apr 16th, 2002)
very helpful by (100%):
