The Lion King

I’m sure everyone has watched the Disney movie and knows what it is all about; a lion cub named Simba, the rightful heir to the throne of Pride Land and how he was banished from his land by his Uncle Scar who wanted to be King.

We were at the Lyceum Theatre in Covent Garden last Thursday evening catching this famed musical.

The musical was absolutely wonderful; from the beautifully choreographed dances to the extensive and elaborate costumes.

Lions being the main characters (Mufasa, Scar and Simba), had costumes that featured mechanical headpieces that can be raised and lowered, there were giraffes - actors on stilts, the famous happy-go-lucky meerkat and warthog duo i.e. Timon and Pumbaa, Scar’s sidekicks – the three hyenas, antelopes, cheetahs, wildebeests, wild buzzards and much much more.

The stage was utterly amazing and the live ensemble was brilliant; there were musicians playing drums and percussions in the balcony and if you glanced at the bottom of the stage, you’d find the violin, flute, piano and basically the complete composition of the ever so talented orchestra performing the famous soundtracks - Circle of Life, Hakuna Matata and Can You Feel the Love, to name a few.

I have to make a special mention of the cute giraffes and baby elephant. And how I simply loved it when all the animals came on stage for the Circle of Life, it was very moving.

The musical was no doubt award winning material but we were both truly knackered due to the on goings in the day, our harried schedule attempting to get there in a timely manner, in addition to the lack of energy as we were fasting. At the risk of contradicting myself, I did enjoy the musical very much, exhaustion notwithstanding.