A couple of weeks ago my sister and I had the chance to go and see The Lion King show in the West End. This has been playing in the Lyceum Theatre in Covent Garden since its debut in 1997 – Which is now 14 years! It is something I have been meaning to go and see for quite a while now so we were really excited to go and see it.
The Lion King is a classic story that almost everyone is familiar with. I remember the Lion King movie first coming out when we were 7 years old and we have both loved it ever since. For those who don’t know, the Lion King is all about a young lion Simba and his journey to became King of the Pridelands after the death of his father.
I had heard a lot of good recommendations about this show, so I was expecting a lot and the show easily managed to meet my expectations. It was really enjoyable to watch and it is clear just how much effort and thought and dedication has gone into producing such a brilliant performance.
The show opens with a performance of the Circle of Life which involves all the many animals of the Serengeti Plains. It is a spectacular start to the show with so many amazing costumes and detail, and has a really artistic feel. This is a great song too, and probably the most iconic and well known song of the Lion King.
I really enjoyed all of the songs which were in the show, and these were some of the highlights for me. I love “Can You Feel the Love tonight.” I also thought the young Simba and Nala did a great job with “I just can’t wait to be king” – these are children of 9-11 years old and they did such a fantastic performance with the whole show, I really admired that as they are so young and must have worked really hard.
After the interval, time has moved on a little in the story and Simba and Nala are replaced by a more grown up version. The 2nd half also brings the introduction of Timone and Pumba, two great characters who bring a lot of humour to the show. The characters of Zazu and Rafiki also bring some humour. Overall the show does have a great balance of serious bits, humour, great music and great performance and dance.
The Lion King Show is recommended for age 8+ and I would absolutely agree with this. Although it is a great show, my children would not have been able to sit and concentrate throughout – at 5 and under. The show is a couple of hours long and may be too much for them. For older children though it would be a great treat and an excellent introduction to West End theatre. For me,
You can see a short video here to give you an idea of the show:
I would definitely recommend this show, for anyone looking for a lively and entertaining show, or anyone who has enjoyed watching the Lion King in their childhood as it’s great to hear all those well loved songs again. Watching the Lion King Show and then going for a meal out made a great child-free outing for me and my sister and was a lovely way to relax for once!
We were given our tickets by Seatwave in order to review the show.