22 February – 19 March

During much of this show it seems as if one is witnessing the spectacular opening ceremony of an African Olympics. The procession of colour, traditional costume, stylized animal masks, the exciting drum beat and above all the choral singing mark this production out as a visual feast.

The plot is an archetypal one; a young man is dispossessed of his birthright by a scheming relative.  After the death of his father, the suitably noble Mufasa (Jean-Luc Guizzone) a young Simba travels far away from his home having various adventures before returning as a man to claim his rightful inheritance by besting the author of his previous misfortune. Such a theme is the stuff of drama, melodrama, ballet, comedy and pantomime all of which find their way into this stage musical version of the Disney feature animation. Indeed Richard Hurst’s deliciously nasty Scar, a pantomime villain if ever there was one, had a few respectful boos during the curtain call. The dandified Zazu (Matthew Forbes) with the odd local reference and direct chat to the audience, if not quite Buttons, has a similar role in the story. In the character of the seer, Rafiki (Thandazile Soni) there is even a hint of the fairy godmother.  Again, without too much tweaking one could see the show being made into a modern ballet, such is the importance and spectacle of the exuberant dance numbers which link the spoken and sung elements.

The animated feature film, parent of the stage production, is evident in the characters of Timon (Alan McHale) and Pumbaa (Carl Sanderson) the comic sidekicks who befriend Simba (Stephenson Ardern-Sodje) during his exile. And rather like the Heath Robinson cycling contraption on which antelope lope gracefully across the savannah, this gallimaufry of elements somehow manages to work as a whole. The production sweeps along in a celebration of song, dance and colour, with costume, masks, ingenious articulated puppetry and the whole creative input from scenic design, makeup and lighting contributing to the spectacle.

Above all, the music of Elton John, Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer help to give the show the universal appeal, which has ensured the production’s popularity and longevity. Last night’s midweek performance was pretty much to a full house in what was an immediately post-covid evening, showing that the public appetite for live entertainment remains undimmed. Health safety measures were evident from the Hippodrome staff who were diligently checking NHS covid passports giving us the sense we were in a relatively secure post-pandemic environment.

★★★★☆ Graham Wyles 23rd February