Speak up mate, you're a little husky! Ahahaha...oh, you've heard that one?
Speak up mate, you're a little husky! Ahahaha...oh, you've heard that one?
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Aristotle in his 'Poetics' named the principal elements of a play as Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle and Song, in order of decreasing importance. He probably wouldn't have cared much for The Lion King, whose plot and characterisation may not be the strongest but which cannot be faulted as far as spectacle and song are concerned.
You might be used to live-action versions of Disney films imitating the animation as much as possible, with actors wearing furry costumes and large cartoony heads to approximate the appearance of Pluto, Dopey or Mrs Potts. The Lion King has been given a much more liberal interpretation thanks to innovative director/designer Julie Taymor, a brave move which allows the show to go far beyond the boundaries of a cartoon. Rest assured, this is no Mickey Mouse production.
The show starts with a single voice crying out in a foreign tongue. The lights go up, but gradually, simulating dawn on the savannah. From either side of the stage and down the aisles of the auditorium come animals - we can see that there are people inside the costumes, but they move as if they are truly filled with the spirit of a cheetah, crane or antelope. Men on four stilts make tall, graceful giraffes; actors whirl birds around their heads on wires, or duck and swoop to make the deer attached to their arms bob along. Everyone gasps at the immense yet delicate elephant, and smiles at the baby following her.
A lion enters. He may walk on two legs, but even without the huge, maned headdress we would know from his proud gait that he is the king of beasts. All this time more voices have been joining in the song - familiar from the film, but now immediate and living - until it reaches a crescendo. The lion and his mate mount Pride Rock, a revolving marvel of set design, and we see their aide holding up a model
lion cub, which waves its head and paws cutely as the animals bow to their future king.
I do not think 'awe-inspiring' is too strong a word to use here. While nothing that follows can quite live up to the opening sequence, it won't disappoint you either.
Julie Taymor uses shadow puppets, cunning mechanisms, intricate costumes and powerful symbolism to create a rich African landscape populated by colourful, beautiful characters. The lionesses wear patterned, floaty cloaks which ripple behind them when they hunt in the long grass - the clumps of grass are played by actors too, so the whole stage seems to be in motion. A wildebeest stampede is represented by wooden animals on rollers and accompanied by a powerful theme reminiscent of Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries.
The plot will be familiar if you have watched the movie version. Simba ('lion' in Swahili) looks forward to growing up and becoming the next King of the Pridelands. But when wicked uncle Scar conspires with the local hyenas to overthrow Simba's royal father Mufasa, the cub is forced into exile. In the jungle he finds a carefree way of life with Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog, but as an adult he has to face his responsibilities.
There are, however, small but significant additions to the tale which explain various shaky plot points from the original and introduce more adult issues. Nala, Simba's cubhood friend, is given a larger role and a reason for leaving the Pridelands in search of help, and we learn more of Simba's life in the jungle with Timon and Pumbaa. Scar gets several big scenes which make him a more rounded character than the rather two-dimensional baddie he was in the cartoon.
Acting is often the weak point of a musical, with performers chosen more for singing and dancing than thespian abilities, so I was surprised by the overall quality of the performance. The children who play Simba and Nala as cubs - big roles for such young artists - are full of enthusiasm and speak convincingly. The adult Simba is a loveable innocent, while Nala grows into a strong female lead. I found Mufasa's acting a little stodgy, which spoiled some of his more emotive scenes with Simba, though this is made up for by his fantastic singing voice.
The comic characters do the best job. The actor behind Zazu the hornbill manages to deliver his lines for maximum humour at the same time as skilfully manipulating his bird puppet (which cost over £3000 to make). In the film this character was voiced by Rowan Atkinson, and on stage he keeps his dry, supercilious tones without sounding like a cheap imitation. As for Timon, I swear his puppeteer must have three hands. The more cartoonish figures, like Timon, Pumbaa and the three hyenas, keep a resemblance to their originals in the film but don't look too out of place next to more stylised characterisations like the lions.
It's a surprise to see Rafiki, a male character in the film, played by a woman, but the actress is perfect in the role: effortlessly switching between humour and gravity, and with a voice powerful enough to carry a solo. It is her voice that opens the show with the unforgettable first notes of 'Circle of Life'. She is let down a little by her costume, though; it looks like the worst stereotype of a witch doctor, and unless you've seen the film you would have no idea the character was supposed to be a baboon.
Scar is a superb villain. His leering mask exudes evil, and his voice drips with sarcasm, menace - and just a hint of camp. Yet he manages to avoid being a pantomime baddie as he voices his doubts and worries in 'The Madness of King Scar'.
His three hyena cronies combine comedy and evil with great success; when young Simba falls into their clutches you are scared for him even as you laugh at their antics. The hyenas get a new Elton John/Tim Rice number, 'Chow Down', which suits them perfectly: 'It's so incredible/That you're so rude/When you're so edible/When you are food...'
There are several new songs, many written by South African composer Lebo M. In the sleeve notes to the soundtrack album, he compares his position as an exile unable to return to his homeland for many years to that of Simba. There is a strong sense of nationality, pride and the bloody history of his own country in pieces like 'One By One' and 'Shadowland'.
The original tracks by Tim Rice and Elton John, such as 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight?', run the risk of sounding fussy and sterile next to the African rhythms and sounds, but they have been masterfully reworked to fit in better with the spirit of the show.
My favourite song is 'They Live In You', which later turns up in the animated Lion King II: Simba's Pride. It's a beautiful, haunting piece, and it's hard to keep from tears as, on the starlit stage, Mufasa tells his son that the great kings of the past will always be watching over him.
This is a true musical rather than a show with a few set-piece songs tacked on. The singing and dancing integrate seamlessly with the dialogue and action scenes, with incidental music provided by the orchestra throughout and recurring motifs which give continuity to the music; the low chant of 'Ingonyama' ('Here is a lion') first appears in 'Circle of Life' and is repeated in 'They Live In You', 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight?' and many more. While you may not leave the theatre singing out loud, you will certainly find themes and odd lines running through your head for a long time afterwards.
In the interval and after the show it's hard to resist buying the beautiful, top-quality merchandise, which ranges from a lavishly-illustrated programme to soft toy versions of the cast to T-shirts and fleeces with the striking lion face logo. Prices are Disneyland high, though I snapped up a very nice Swatch-style watch for £15. The cheapest souvenirs are the keyrings at £4.
Currently there are performances every evening except Monday and matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, with tickets from £17.50 to £45 available from the theatre box office or from numerous West End ticket sellers including www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.dresscircle.co.uk. Book well in advance if you want to go on a particular date. You can also go to Disney's UK site for booking, prices and availability information - here's a short URL for your convenience: http://tinyurl.com/m2js
If you're looking for a bargain you can often pick up tickets on eBay, sometimes with dinner and a hotel room thrown in. There are sometimes box office returns, and it is possible to buy a £10 'standing ticket' on the day for the back of the auditorium. If you are going to stand, though, bear in mind that the show runs to two hours forty-five minutes (plus interval)!
This is a truly awesome show, packed with wonderful music and amazing visuals. The audience emerges dazed, grinning and somehow changed by the experience. The characters, the songs, the spectacle...they live in you.
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I've really wanted to see this for so long! Amazing review, by the way. One of the best I've read for this type of thing! Have a great big "EXCEPTIONAL" on me!
angeleyes1802 12.10.2005 11:44
Great review - Ive not seen this show before - i definitely will now
simoncjones 05.08.2005 17:04
Excellent review - gives us a real flavour of the show.
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Advantages: Stunning, ingenious costumes and visuals, classic musical numbers well-performed. Disadvantages: New songs and scenes are noticeably weaker.
Sep 3rd, 2003
exceptional by (3%):
very helpful by (97%):
