Photos: DISNEY'S THE LION KING Celebrates 25 Years In The West End With A Special Third Act

Disney’s THE LION KING celebrated 25 triumphant years in the West End’s Lyceum Theatre on the afternoon of Sunday, 20 October with a special gala performance attended by the original creatives of the show including Julie Taymor, Lebo M, Richard Hudson, Irene Mecchi, Roger Allers and Donald Holder. Check out photos from the event below!

The award winning creative team were joined in the auditorium by distinguished guests including: Tom Allen, Liz Carr, Vittorio Angelone, Adam Pearson, Sophie Duker, Strictly’s Jowita Przystał and Nikita Kuzmin, Mawaan Rizwan, Emma Barnett, Deborah Frances-White, Nick Mohammed, Chris MacCausland, Josette Bushell Mingo (OBE) the original Rafiki in the West End from 1999 and Sarah Hadland.

To conclude the performance, five Rafiki’s from across Europe came together for a special and rousing performance of ‘Circle of Life’. London’s Thenjiwe Nofemele was joined on stage by actors representing productions of the musicals past and present from across Europe. The performance was sung in English, German, French, Spanish and Dutch – as well as the five African languages which are featured in every production around the world.

As part of The Lion King’s 25th anniversary celebrations, the Outernet played host to a spectacular visual installation this weekend, produced by Nexus Studios. Transforming the Outernet’s 360-degree screens into a dynamic visual experience, The Lion King Outernet celebrates the intricate work and the heroes behind the scenes—from costume design and puppetry to set creation. At the heart of the experience is a family tree, inspired by Rafiki’s Baobab tree, with vibrant collages of behind-the-scenes imagery and motion graphics. These collages showcase the skill of the teams on and off stage who tirelessly bring The Lion King to life each night. 

Since the UK premiere in 1999, THE LION KING London has entertained more than 19 million theatre goers at its home at the Lyceum Theatre and is the fifth longest-running West End musical of all time. 

The story of THE LION KING roars into life every evening using spectacular masks, puppets and costumes to tell the story of Simba's epic adventures, as he struggles with the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king.

Julie Taymor’s internationally celebrated stage adaptation of THE LION KING opened on Broadway in 1997 and 25 global productions in nine different languages have been created since then (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese).

The stunning artistry of the production is the work of a team of designers which drew on diverse cultural influences to recreate the rich colours and vast expanses of the African savanna in this daring and inspiring reinvention of one of the most successful animated feature films of all time. 

Julie Taymor, one of the world’s most innovative directors, brought a vast array of disciplines to THE LION KING, including extensive experience staging epic theatre and opera productions, exploring classic myths through ritualised puppetry, mask, and movement. The Lion King was the first musical Taymor directed in the commercial theatre and she made Broadway history by becoming the first woman to win the Tony Award® for Best Director of a Musical.   

The Broadway show’s full creative team, which won five Tony Awards® for its work on THE LION KING, reunited in 1999 to recreate the show in London. Julie Taymor and Michael Curry created hundreds of masks and puppets. 

Scenic design is by British designer Richard Hudson and lighting is by Donald Holder. Costume design is by Julie Taymor, and choreography by Garth Fagan. The book was adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated feature and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the screenplay. 

The original score from the animated film was expanded for the stage and now features 15 musical numbers. As well as writing completely new songs, South African composer Lebo M created an evocative blend of African rhythms and chorales, with additional material by Julie Taymor and Mark Mancina. 

Elton John and Tim Rice have added three new numbers to the five that they wrote for the award-winning score of the animated film. The resulting sound of THE LION KING is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, including the Academy Award®-winning Can You Feel The Love Tonight and the haunting Shadowland. 

Photo Credit: Dave Bennett