♪♫ NANTS INGONYAMA BAGITHI BABA, SITHI UHHMM INGONYAMA ♪♫
I got tickets to see The Lion King for my 21st birthday, and I love London – so this combination was great. I was scheduled to see the matinee performance, so what did I do in London before then?
Well, of course, the first choice was Camden Markets and Dock. The creative and artistic atmosphere made me feel right at home – such a colourful corner of London. There were little bits of beauty around every corner – as I went through the old horse stable section and felt more at home than ever. It is so hard to put Camden into words (which is terrible considering it’s a blog post talking about it) but the amount of individuality and artistic aspects allow different cultures, opinions and views to join together to create a haven of creativity.
There were these beautiful old stable doors that had giant door knockers on that gave off Labyrinth vibes (Bowie ☹) which is one of my favourite films so of course that got photographed. Then there were little plants just dotted around which was aesthetically pleasing with the brown, rusted doors and walls against the colour pop of green; an Instagrammers dream come true. Can we also please just admire the light(s) fitting? I mean, this is what I want in my own house one day; it’s so quirky, unique but simple. I would never have thought of something like that but I love it so much! It’s indie meets grandma. Lastly, what I normally do that I didn’t do this time is buying the best orange juice ever from a little store on the market by the canal and also visit Skinnydip London and try on every pair of sunglasses.
After debating whether to leave Camden at all or just stay there until the theatre; it was decided that a visit to New Look and Simply Be was in order on Oxford Street. A round of applause to New Look for having such a large selection of their curves range – I could have stayed there all day. But, Simply Be was such a pretty shop! I’ve been there before when I won a little meet and greet with SprinkleofGlitter, who was such a lovely woman in person. Anyway, the amount of plus size clothes I wanted to buy was saddening. If you’re a size 18 – 32 I highly recommend being nosey at their websites; or if you live near a store to go and visit because you will not be disappointed.
Then food. Where do I eat? Bella Italia of course! It was a quaint little restaurant, with Italian servers and hot food (also student discount of 50% off main meals if you ask). Their decor looked like they decided to attack Ikea and just buy all their lampshades – but that was great because – Ikea.
Then, the time had come. It was theatre time. I’ve wanted to see The Lion King for such a long time; ever since I went to Kenya and learnt some Swahili. The Lyceum Theatre was a typical fairytale theatre, it was well presented in the paint, allowing it to look grand along with the columns. The inside was magnificent. The ceiling is beautiful but I couldn’t get a shot of that, so I guess you will have to go and see for yourself. The staff were extremely polite and helpful as I had a panic attack before we went in (separate post on that coming soon). The Lyceum Theatre is a West End theatre since 1834 in that specific placing in London. The Lyceum has been home to the musical version of The Lion King since 1999 and they are proud to show this, allowing the theatrical production to make itself at home.
The Lion King. Everyone knows it as the 1994 Disney film that made everyone cry and laugh in the space of under 2 hours. The stage musical? Exactly the same but in under 3 hours. First off, a round of applause for Julie Taymor the Director of this musical number. The Lion King’s mise-en-scene (costumes, settings, props) were so brilliantly thought through for the use of effectiveness and mobility. The colours were vibrant yet didn’t lift your focus from the acting or story. It was appropriate for all ages and the actors and actresses were the main success. The acting and musical numbers were incredible and so talented.
Mufasa had the deep voice and hierarchy he deserved. Scar had that sarcastic twist that was perfect for him. Young Nala and Simba were insanely talented and are definitely going places as they increase their experience. Timon and Pumbaa were there to make the audience laugh and it worked well. Nala and Simba made everyone feel the love that day. Zuzu and Rafika allowed people to follow the narrative and laugh until they cried. Overall, it was a great show.
Here is the list of actors/actresses that perform on The Lion King:
Main Characters
Georfe Asperey – Scar
Shaun Escoffery – Mufasa
Brown Lindiwe Mkhize – Rafiki
Howard Gossington – Zazu
Richard Frame – Timon
Keith Bookman – Pumbaa
Nick Afoa – Simba
Ava Brennan – Nala
Nadine Higgin – Shenzi
David Blake – Banzai
Mark McGee – Ed
Jamila Ajadi / Shaye Temple – Young Nala
Quincy Miller-Cole / Kenyah Sandy – Young Simba
Ensemble/Swing
Etian A Almeida
Jonathan André
Curtis Angus
Gabriel Brasilio
Yolanda Burke
Janique Charles
Jorge Ciprianno
Azola Dlamini
Zinhle Dube
Sandile Gontsana
Makoto Iso
Kwesi Christopher Jeffers
Mthokozisi Emkay Khanyile
Tramaine Lamy
Stephanie Laughlin
Francisco Lins
Stephanie Tsz Maan Lo
Khaya Maseko
Sadia McEwen
Mduduzi Mkhethi
Phumlani Mkhize
Daniel Monteiro
Candice Morris
Melissa Nettleford
Crystal Nicholls
Nosipho Nkonqa
Darcel Osei
Kella Panay
Dominique Planter
Kayode Salina
Poseletso Sejosingoe
Antoine Murray Straughan
Nic Vani
Ricardo Walker-Harris
Connor Williams
Momo Yeung
I do have to say that my favourite character was Rafiki – her character just shone so brightly throughout the play. You could sense the actresses personality through the character which allowed you to enjoy her performance so much more.
All the songs were sung with such precision and feeling, but my favourites had to be The Circle of Life and He Lives in You. The harmonies of these two songs gave you goosebumps and sent shivers down my spine. These songs topped with amazing costumes, character designs and the lighting effects that were created (especially with the stars) were outstanding. If this show doesn’t get a standing ovation after every show, it would be dissapointing because the people who worked on it and in it deserve all the credibility.
I will definitely go and see this again.
★★★★★ 5/5 stars
The Lyceum Theatre – http://www.lyceum-theatre.co.uk/
The Lion King – https://www.thelionking.co.uk/
The Lion King Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL59A1A57EF510F502
(They sing The Circle of Life on an aeroplane, in an airport and on the underground – they are a must see!)
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