The Lion King

Musicals

theatre & performing arts (kids)

Lyceum Theatre

Until Sun Jan 5 2014

Simba on Rock

Johan Persson
Circle of Life

Brinkhoff/Mögenburg, Hamburg
Rafiki tree
Boy, cheetah & giraffes
Rafiki & gazelle

Simba on Rock

Johan Persson

Time Out rating:

User ratings:

Rate this

Time Out says

Tue Sep 27 2011

The posters have been plastered around the London Underground for 12 years – long enough for this show to rack up 5,000 performances – but nothing prepares you for the sheer impact of 'The Lion King's opening sequence.

With the surge of 'Circle Of Life' reverberating through your chest, Julie Taymor's animal creations march on, species by species. Gazelles spring, birds swoop and an elephant and her child lumber through the stalls. It's a cacophonous cavalcade that genuinely stops you breathing. You'd think Noah's Ark had emptied onto the stage.

For a global blockbuster, 'The Lion King's absolute theatricality is astonishing. Techniques from all over the world – African masks, Japanese Kabuki costumes, Malaysian shadow puppetry – are smashed together in an explosion of spectacle. It's perfect for a musical, allowing both distinct flavours and an eclectic carnival spirit.

Admittedly, things deflate when it sacrifices this defiant originality for subservient approximation of the film. Timon and Pumba (Damian Baldet and Keith Bookman), though impressively like their screen counterparts, step into the savannah from a different dimension.

The hyena-infested elephant's graveyard swaps menace for goofiness and the famous stampede scene, so delicately handled and moving in the film, is merely ticked off with a sigh of relief.

The familiarity of the film is a root cause of the show's commercial success. But, ironically, 'The Lion King' can't afford such compromises. Its plot is thin enough to turn your brain to mulch and the score, which sits Elton John and Tim Rice's pop anthems with Lebo M's African-inspired additions, remains disjointed. Amongst the current cast, Andile Gumbi's Simba is too limply wholesome, but George Asprey and Shaun Escoffery are aptly majestic as Scar and Mufasa.

Nonetheless Taymor's theatrical fireworks, backed up by Donald Holder's oft-unsung, emotive lighting, are more than draw enough. 'The Lion King' is a show that demands to be seen.

Comments

Add +

Venue details

MAP

Name:
Lyceum Theatre
Address:
Lyceum Theatre 21 Wellington St
London
WC2E 7RQ

Phone:
0844 871 3000
Website:
www.lyceumtheatrelondon.com/
Transport:
Tube: Covent Gdn
Map
1. Lyceum Theatre
  - 21 Wellington St
    London
    WC2E 7RQ
  - 0844 871 3000
  - www.lyceumtheatrelondon.com/
  - 51.511709,-0.119970

Event phone:
0844 871 3000
Event website:
www.lyceumtheatrelondon.com/

Categories:
Theatre. West End. Musicals. theatre & performing arts (kids)
Type of event:
Plays and shows

The Lion King 2013 - 2014

Date Time Price information
Thu May 23

19:30

£25-£95. Runs 2hrs 40mins
Buy tickets
Fri May 24

19:30

£25-£95. Runs 2hrs 40mins
Buy tickets
Sat May 25

14:30

£25-£95. Runs 2hrs 40mins
Buy tickets

19:30
Sun May 26

14:30

£25-£95. Runs 2hrs 40mins
Buy tickets
Tue May 28

19:30

£25-£95. Runs 2hrs 40mins
Buy tickets
Wed May 29

14:30

£25-£95. Runs 2hrs 40mins
Buy tickets

19:30
Thu May 30

14:30

£25-£95. Runs 2hrs 40mins
Buy tickets

19:30
Fri May 31

19:30

£25-£95. Runs 2hrs 40mins
Buy tickets

Share your thoughts

Your rating
Name *
Email *
Comment *
* mandatory fields
Tick to receive relevant updates from Time Out including news, events, offers and competitions.

Comments & ratings

(10 ratings)

Im confused about the seating arrangments what are the stalls,cant find the cheaper seats not sure how it all works, looking for 3 tickets around the thursday 25 July, can you please explain as i wasnt even sure where the stage was. Thanks.

maggie Thu Feb 28
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
I would like to order 5 tickets for the Lion King for Wednesday April 3rd 2013. 4 seniors and 1 student Thank you

Judith Korot Fri Feb 15
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
We will be in London from April 1 to April4 I would like to order 5 tickets , 4 seniors and 1 student for Wednesday April 3rd

Judith Korot Fri Feb 15
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
the music was too loud, don't wish to go again

dan Wed Jan 30
Rated as: 1/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
I cant quite believe that this began almost 14 years ago! It's one of the most powerful things I will probably ever see on stage and the magnitude of what they have created is still yet, in my opinion, to really be topped

Claire Mon Jan 14
Rated as: 5/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Well worth the money, emotional and powerful!

Emma Mon Dec 31 2012
Rated as: 5/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *

The Lion King

Simba on Rock

Circle of Life

Rafiki tree

Boy, cheetah & giraffes

Rafiki & gazelle

Simba on Rock

Time Out rating:

User ratings:

Time Out says

Venue details

Map

The Lion King 2013 - 2014

Comments & ratings

Near Lyceum Theatre

Bars and pubs

Restaurants and cafés

Shops

About us

Time Out products

Time Out London magazine

Advertising

Site map

Follow us