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Theatre review - The Lion King
If you love spectacular theatre, you will love the Lion King. As the curtain opens, a procession of extravagantly-coloured animals bound on stage and a powerful African melody starts up, transporting you from the greyness of Drury Lane to the majesty of the Serengeti plains
I took my three-year-old daughter to see the production, with great trepidation, certain she was incapable of sitting still for so long, would start bawling loudly or get bored and flick ice cream at the people in front. But from the moment the action started she was captivated by the colours and songs and sat gawping, wide-eyed, and excitedly clapping her hands to the beat throughout. I was astonished.
Many critics thought it would be impossible to recreate the epic colour and crazy menagerie of the Disney film on stage, but they were wrong. The costumes and puppetry of the production are outstanding, with masks and headdresses representing the animals rather than attempting to disguise the actors - which would have have resulted in a somewhat ridiculous, cartoon effect.
Simba (the lion prince), Mufasa (his father, the king) and Scar (the villain) have lion masks above their heads and giraffe actors gracefully negotiate the stage on stilts, but the most ingenious creations are the hyenas - their rear legs belong to the actors, who control the mechanical front legs and head.
At all times you are clearly aware humans are controlling the costumes, but that does not detract at all, in fact it gives the production a far more natural feel. Zazu (the king's aide) is actually a man holding a bird puppet above his head. It sounds slightly silly, but it works...honest! The actors are helped by the choreography, which cleverly blends the movements of the animal into the dancing.
The plot has several familiar themes. Simba, son of the king of lions, is forced into exile by his evil uncle Scar after the death of his father, Mufasa. Scar, having got his nephew out of the way, seizes power with the help of a hyena army. Simba goes through a rite of passage in the wilderness before returning to claim his rightful throne.
Ultimately a musical lives or dies by its score. The Lion King's is excellent and blends together Elton John and Tim Rice's classic musical numbers in the western tradition with rhythmic African beats and haunting melodies. Despite the hype around hits such as Circle of Life and Can You Feel The Love Tonight, it is the African sounds that really draw the audience in and give the production its character. They let the cast showcase their great voices, particularly Alexia Khadime (Nala) and Brown Lindiwe Mkhize (Rafiki). Mkhize has one of the finest voices I have ever heard.
As for the acting, the real stars are Jonathan Bishop, who plays the role of the young Simba with amazing maturity, and James Simmons who plays dastardly villain Scar to a tee. Mick Mercer and Keith Bookman, as Timon and Pumbaa (the meerkat and warthog who befriend Simba in exile), provide brilliant comedy.
All in all, The Lion King is a great day out and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to escape into a magical world for a few hours.
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