The Lion King Archives - North West End UK

2Nov

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Disney’s The Lion King – Palace Theatre

There was a palpable sense of excitement in Manchester last night as the crowds made their way down Oxford Road to watch 'The Lion King' start its mammoth run at the venerable old Palace Theatre. Some in the audience have been waiting over two years, the original booking falling victim to the pandemic back in 2020, indeed such was the demand for tickets (over 200,000 sold for the initial weeks of performance), that the run has been further extended to the middle of March next year. I saw this production on its last visit to Manchester in 2012 and will admit to being slightly underwhelmed on that occasion, so I was interested to see if this time round it would live up to the hype. Should you be spending your hard earned money in the company of Simba and Pumba in the Pride Lands, rather t...

Spotlight on Kayi Ushe or ‘Simba’ in The Lion King

The Lion King has returned in all its colourful splendour to The Lyceum Theatre. As the existing cast welcome new members, we asked Kayi Ushe what it means to him to join the cast playing the role of Simba. To book tickets or find further information about The Lion King go to the website https://thelionking.co.uk/london/#booking-information Is Simba a role that you have always wanted to play? Being a part of the Lion King has always been a goal for me. There’s so much to explore in every aspect of the show. So, to get to play Simba, a character that has resonated with me and so many since childhood, is a blessing. As a new cast member to the team, how have your previous stage roles prepared you for this very energetic lead role? Simba is such a high energy role...

Spotlight on George Asprey or ‘Scar’ from The Lion King

After a long period of closure, London gave ‘The Lion King’ a very warm welcome back to the stage. Opening night was a ‘roaring’ success and all the smiles and standing ovations made the period of lockdown fade into the distant memory. One of the characters making a triumphant return was Scar (George Asprey), whose lack of morals and slippery cunning, makes him the villain people love to hate. We asked George Asprey about his return to the role of Scar, his costume, playing a bad guy and Lego! To book tickets to see ‘The Lion King’ go to the website - https://thelionking.co.uk/london/#booking-information After such a long break from performing, how did you prepare for your return to the stage? I managed to keep myself physically fit during the lockdown period...