Stephenson Ardern-Sodje Joins THE LION KING in London as Simba

Stephenson Ardern-Sodje will return as the King of Pride Rock in Disney's THE LION KING as he takes over the role of Simba in the London production of The Lion King from 6 May until 28 September 2025 having previously performed the role on the UK & Ireland tour. Hope Maine, who also previously played Simba, will then take over until 25th January 2026.

Stephenson said: “I am delighted to be returning to the Pridelands as Simba, having previously had the joy of playing the role on the UK & Ireland tour. Joining the iconic London production at the Lyceum Theatre, which recently celebrated 10,000 performances, is a dream come true.”

Stephenson Ardern-Sodje was most recently in the Young Vic's production of Passing Strange and his other musical credentials include Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre) Once on This Island (Regent's Park Theatre), Starter for Ten (Bristol Old Vic) and Rock Follies (Chichester Festival Theatre). 

Also joining the cast from 6 May will be Pierre van Heerden as Pumba, who previously played the role on the International Tour and Sadia McEwen as Shenzi, who is currently playing Sarabi in the London production. They join current principal cast members George Asprey as Scar, Shaun Escoffery as Mufasa, Thenjiwe Nofemele as Rafiki, Gary Jordan as Zazu, Alan McHale as Timon, Merryl Ansah as Nala, Jorell Coiffic-Kamall as Banzai and Mark Tatham as Ed.

New members of the ensemble cast include Solomon Gordon, Reece McKenzie, Candida Mosoma, Nicholas Nkuna, Andrew Parfitt, Jessica Reeve, Rochelle Sherona.

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).

Performances of Disney's THE LION KING began in 1999 at the Lyceum Theatre, with the production celebrating its 25th anniversary last October.

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. 

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