A timeline of 'The Lion King' in the West End and beyond

The majestic Disney favourite has been playing in the West End since 1999 and has enthralled audiences all over the globe.

Summary

• The Lion King is based on the beloved 1994 animated film
• The stage musical premiered on Broadway in 1997 and in the West End in 1999
• The show has been performed widely worldwide
• The Broadway production celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2027

Can you feel the love for The Lion King? The stage musical of one of Disney’s greatest animated features premiered in New York in 1997 and in London in 1999, and remains the pride and joy of the Broadway and the West End. The show will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Broadway next year.

The Lion King been presented on six continents and continues to delight audiences of all ages with its majestic puppetry, production design, and sweeping score. Read on to learn more about its many landmark achievements. Why not make it the “mane” event of your next theatre outing!

Book The Lion King tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

1994: The Lion King movie

Disney first conceived the idea of a film set in Africa the mid-1980s and it underwent several different treatments, including a narrative in the style of a nature documentary. It was eventually decided that it would chart the young hero Simba’s coming of age journey, with Shakespearean elements, most notably echoes of Hamlet. The setting was inspired by Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya.

The film featured a voice cast led by Matthew Broderick as Simba, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, and Jeremy Irons as Scar. Hans Zimmer composed the score, with songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, including “The Circle of Life”, “Hakuna Matata”, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” It was the highest-grossing film of 1994 and won two Oscars (Best Score and Best Song for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”). It is considered a landmark in animated filmmaking. A remake in the photorealistic animated style was released in 2019, but it’s the original that continues to capture the imagination.

1997: Broadway premiere

Disney Theatrical Productions produced its first Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast in 1994, which was a commercial, if not critical, success. Helmed by director and designer Julie Taymor, known for her avant-garde work involving masks and puppetry, The Lion King marked a breakthrough in legitimising Disney’s presence on the Great White Way from an artistic standpoint and earned widespread critical acclaim.

The score was expanded with new songs by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Tsidii Le Loka, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. Several scenes were added to bolster the piece’s dramatic potential, and the priest-like mandrill Rafiki, a male character in the film, became a powerful female presence.

The musical previewed in Minneapolis, Minnesota before roaring into Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre that autumn, where it played until 2006. It then moved to the Minskoff Theatre. The show was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won six, including Best New Musical and Best Direction of a Musical for Taymor (the first woman to receive this honour). To date, it is the third longest-running Broadway musical to date (following The Phantom of the Opera and the 1996 revival of Chicago). There have also been sit-down productions in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and three US tours.

1998: Japanese translation

Before the show arrived in the West End from Broadway, it landed in Japan at Tokyo’s Shiki Theatre HARU. The production continues to this day and is the second longest-running musical to play in Japan after CATS (both feline-themed shows!).

1999: West End premiere

The show transferred to the West End two years later in 1999, where it continues to play at the Lyceum Theatre. The opening cast included celebrated actor and educationist Josette Bushell-Mingo as Rafiki. It was nominated for eight Olivier Awards and won two. It is the sixth longest-running West End show to date.

2001 onwards: Der König der Löwen, El Rey León and Le Roi Lion

A German-language production opened at Hamburg’s Theater im Hafen in 2001, where it continues to play to packed houses. Access to the theatre is via themed ferries named after characters from the show – that beats the bus or tube!

Also in Europe, there’s an ongoing Spanish production at Teatro Lope de Vega in Madrid, which opened in 2011. The French aren’t usually huge fans of musical theatre, yet the Paris premiere ran from 2007-2010 and a revival that opened in 2021 continues to play at Théâtre Mogador.

2007: African debut

The show made its debut on the African continent in South Africa at Johannesburg’s Teatro at Montecasino (the venue’s inaugural production) in June 2007. The entire cast was South African and Oprah Winfrey was a guest of honour at opening night. The production played for eight months.

2012: The Lion King tours the kingdom

The Lion King’s “Zebra tour” travelled the UK and Ireland from 2012 to 2015, which visited Bristol, Manchester, Dublin, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Bradford, Liverpool, Southampton, Sunderland, and Cardiff. The “Rhino tour” started in 2019 and concluded in 2023, stopping in Cardiff, Bristol, Edinburgh, Bradford, Manchester, Southampton, Sunderland, Birmingham, and Dublin. A right royal progress!

2024: 25 years in the West End

The show celebrated its quarter century in the West End on 19 October 2024. Shortly before the occasion, the Lyceum Theatre received an upgrade with a new stage floor, modernised lighting and sound systems, and a front of house refurbishment. A gala performance featured a special finale in which five Rafikis from different European productions performed “The Circle of Life”.

The show also inspires great loyalty from its cast. Shaun Escoffery and George Asprey, who play Mufasa and Scar, have played the roles the roles since 2008 and have developed their own unique relationship as best friends and chosen brothers. Both train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and practise between shows!

2027: 30 years on Broadway

Next year, the show will celebrate 30 years on Broadway. An extraordinary landmark, it ought to be a truly regal celebration! Hakuna Matata indeed!

Book The Lion King tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.