The Lion King UK Tour, Sunderland Empire Review

★ ★ ★ ★ .5

Reviewer - Stacy

Disney’s The Lion King is a musical that needs no introduction. It’s West End and Broadway legacy spans decades and for many, it is their first introduction into the world of musical theatre. From animation to the stage, via a real-life feature film, this story has evolved and continues to entertain the masses around the world on a daily basis.

Now I’m no stranger to this musical having seen it through the years eight times, but this week marked my first experience viewing it out and about on tour, and even I was rewarded with small adaptations in setting to suit the touring needs of production. The venue was The Sunderland Empire, the skies outside were overcast and gloomy, but inside the theatre was packed with sunny smiles splashed across the face of every child. Sweets and drinks were at the ready and then it began. I can still recall my first visit, the opening number was breathtaking, and I was taken aback by the sheer spectacle that I cried tears of joy. From the African drum calls, Rafiki's rhythmical replies and the chorus in "perfect harmony", it was like nothing I had ever seen before. Then the majestic puppetry of animals paraded their way from the back of the auditorium to gasps of delight. Pride Rock rose and animals and birds danced across the stage in technicolour glory. Even to this day the opening parade still captures those feelings for me and I did find myself wiping away a stray tear or two.

When you come to a Disney musical you expect a high calibre on the performance front and like always the cast did not disappoint. They brought the well-known characters to life with animalistic passion in a strong performance across the board. I’m throwing a shout-out to Richard Hurst (Scar), Matthew Forbes (Zazu) and Kyle Richardson (Simba). For me, their physicality, stage presence and all-round performance provided added extra to bring something special to the show. But overall it was a strong ensemble effort.

My only critique came from the sound, I felt that during some songs the singing volume was at the lower end of comfortable. I was sitting in the Upper Circle and the band dominated above the vocals so sound levels were slightly off during this performance.

For me The Lion King will always be the puppetry and the costumes….it speaks the loudest and makes the biggest impact. It's bold, bright and brilliant, transporting you to the planes of Africa in mood and atmosphere. This show will forever hold a special place in my heart and I could go on talking about it for days. But in the effort of word count, I'll sign off by saying, as expected, the show was a plethora of sights, sounds and sensations that will leave you wanting more.