EXCERPT: “Julie
Taymor’s production has been well designed to last the test of time: although,
under harsh judgemental eyes the stage machinery, animal puppetry and costuming
might not stand up to scrutiny, the wonderfully exotic African colours add a
sheen of brilliant vitality that makes cutting edge inventiveness less
necessary.”
Well into its 14th year in the West End, that The Lion King is as visually spectacular
as ever is a credit to Disney’s carefully controlling eye. Still slick and
seamless, production values remain remarkably high whilst the staging of others
– I’m thinking especially of the oh so revered Les Miserables – seem increasingly dated. Julie Taymor’s production
(she was both director and costume designer) has been well designed to last the
test of time: although, under harsh judgemental eyes the stage machinery,
animal puppetry and costuming might not stand up to scrutiny, the wonderfully
exotic African colours add a sheen of brilliant vitality that makes cutting
edge inventiveness less necessary. Furthermore, the music is so wonderful, and
the nostalgic reminder of the film so engaging, that – presuming you like both –
it is hard not to be swept along for most of it. This is one of those rare
occasions when those three ingredients do prove sufficiently strong to outweigh
the negatives. Provided you know (and like) what you’re signing yourself up
for, The Lion King is pretty much
guaranteed as a fun night out.
When the deep rich tones of Rafiki (Brown Lindiwe Mkhize)
ring out for A Circle of Life, accompanied by African drumming from the royal boxes
and a full orchestra in the pit, it becomes apparent how much Elton John’s
music lends itself to fabulous performances. Unfortunately, only Lindiwe Mkhize
(Rafiki) and Shaun Escoffery (Mufasa) showed this star quality: the rest of the
cast were pretty underwhelming, the child actors playing Simba and Nala, and
Scar’s understudy David Stoller, proving especially disappointing. The poor
casting does mean that at times it drags a little but, remarkably, despite the predictability
of the comedy (which highlights just how very much the show is directed at children,
and to what an extent the script steals from the film), I still found myself
engaged enough to be chuckling along. The fact that I – a real stickler for
good quality acting – still managed to enjoy the show indicates how
successfully Taymor has enabled this show’s longevity and commercial success
and that, in itself, demands a huge amount of respect.
To find out more about the production and buy tickets, please visit The Lion King's website.
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