Reader Reviews
The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | This is the most amazing musical extravaganza I have ever had the honour of seeing. Even the trailer on www.cheaplionkingtickets.co.uk gives me goosebumps and tears of wonder when I watch it. Never mind the story which is pure Disney. It's the sheer artistry from all corners of the world which converge to make this a truly memorable production. - Katie | 14 Dec 12 |
| Glad to see its going to tour ... - RMJI | 27 Feb 12 |
| Can't believe how bad this show was.....saw it years ago and it was very good, now however it is basically a very poor panto with little or no care given to its upkeep. So so expensive...cost over 250 pounds for three of us....what a total waste...first five minutes is good, after that, it's DIRE....not even entertaining for children! - Leanne, London | 31 Dec 11 |
| would be very good but cast seemed tired and bored. seemed like a copy of a copy of a copy... - bj | 20 Jun 10 |
| The opening of this show is spectacular. The staging and effects are excellent but for me this show really did not have any real substance or emotion to it. Some scenes were to long and drawn out. I must say I came away disapointed after loving the film version. - Anthony E Ball | 09 Jan 09 |
| this post is fantastic preteen models lolitas little girls archive ylkasz - Lmvkddkt | 01 Oct 08 |
| *meant to say you cant expect someone under 10 to perform to the same standard as someone twice their age in the previous post! Not that they *can*! - K8m | 05 May 08 |
| The staging of this musical is inventive yet also quite abstract and suggestive, almost as if it had been made up for a dance piece rather than a full blown musical. I enjoyed it to a certain point. The second half is better than the first in my opinion. The reason for this is that I didnt think the child actor playing the major role of 'young simba' was up to much. His voice wasnt very strong and his acting really not up to scratch. However, I appreciate that when you're under 10 you can be expected to perform in the same was as someone twice your age but I just felt this made the first act rather mechanical and clunky. However the actress playing young nala was full of life and very enjoyable to watch, I think her name was "Natalie Kasanga" Also another big problem for me is that they have lifted a lot of the dailogue directly from the film which made the whole thing feel quite unnatural and broke up the pace. Brown Lindiwe Mkhize was a joy to watch as Rafiki, she had an outstanding voice and was full of energy. She also brought something original to the character so it wasn't just a carbon copy of the cartoon. Even though she wasn't in it a lot, whenever she came onstage all the audience really enjoyed her performance (and she got the biggest applause at the end!) The second act was better, with the adult Nala and Simba. Andile Gumbi (adult simba) and Gloria Onitiri (adult nala) didnt have the strongest voices but they were both good dancers and managest to just about cope with the stilted dailoge they had been given! Timone and Pumba were definately a fave of the audience - they looked and sounded like the characters in the film but I think this was a good rather than a bad thing. They had energy, kept the pace and brought lots of comedy to the show. At times this felt like a glorified pantomime. I would definately recomend it for the kids but perhaps not for someone looking for a more sophisticated musical. One last thing is that this company has some very good dancers, and the numbers where they were the main focus were a joy to watch. (the opening scene is also pretty spectacular!) - K8m | 05 May 08 |
| Set, people, music. All brilliant, exciting, colourful and a brilliant night out. - 195.62.201.138) | 20 Oct 06 |
| Saw the Lion King on 3rd May, which I think was a new cast. I had seen the show 2 times previously, and felt that now this show is beginning to show signs of tiredness. On the plus side, this show has spectacle like no other I've seen-the sets and costumes are frequently breathtaking and the production clearly costs a fortune to mount-and you can see every penny on the stage. On the downside, the singing is very patchy-in fact last night only the character of the witchdoctor stood out as a good singer. The acting is also not the best-the role of Scar seemed to be played like a camp Shakespearean actor rather than a real villain-which I felt lessened the emotional impact of the plot. Indeed, I felt the show had really lost its emotional heart-at times it felt over-rehearsed and "stagey". There were a number of technical things that went wrong-ropes appearing across the stage at the wrong time, microphones not working properly,backstage crew being visible when they shouldn't be...all signs of a production that has lost its tightness. It is still a jawdropping show..but for me it has lost its heart. - 212.135.157.226) | 04 May 06 |
| The Lion King is, unfortunatly, a big diappointment. The problem is that the best moment in the show is at the very beginning, and after the 'Circle of Life' has finished the show never ever lives up to the opening. The familiar songs from the film are generally transferred very well, but the additional material is nowhere near the standard. The show is much more of an event than anything else, and is very much style over content. It's worth going for the experience (and the 'Cicle of Life' number which is wonderful), and the staging is unmatched in its originally. However its pales into mediorcrity when compared to Disney's other mega show in the west end - Mary Poppins. Too many times we get 'panto' moments which are often cringeworthy for a top west end musical. The african music added to the film score, is bland, and you sometimes wonder why some of the dance scene's were added in as they do nothing to move the story on. That said the moments of the show where most of the ensemble are present for the big numbers are fantastic, and don't fail to wow anyone. Overall it is worth going to once, but there are much better shows in the west end - both for adults and children. - 193.37.182.1) | 27 Nov 05 |
| so cool........sat there with goodebumps all the way through music is beautifull and actress alexia facey put a smile on my face and a shiver down my spine with that tremendous voice. definetly one of the best singer around!.......well done everyone p.s the young nala had a cute look and a sweet voice! sherelle was the nala - 195.8.175.50) | 20 Jun 05 |
| It is a great show!! The songs are excellent and well known, which makes it a great show for the family - Children will love the songs, and both they and their parents will be blown away by the stunning sets and costumes. One of the best shows I have ever seen!! Highly recommend it to everyone! You have to see it at least once (if not more)...you will NOT be disappointed! - 80.177.14.225) | 06 Apr 05 |
| Amazing. The Lion King is the best show i have seen in a long time, it moved me and my best friend to tears twice. The Lion King manages to take a childhood classic and present it in a way which i never thought was possible, it pays close attention to detail and does things which as a member of the audience i did not think they would pay attention to,such as the "grubs" Timon and Pumba show Simba. The use of masks is amazing and the acting and singing is brilliant, as is the set which was breathtaking. Overall, The Lion King is an amazing example of why i love theatre. - 81.153.244.90) | 23 Jan 05 |
| We run a full coach up to see the West End shows about four times a year, so have seen most of the popular musicals over the last few years and I'm afraid this was not one of those that you came away from feeling exhilerated by what you had seen. The sets and scenery were first class, but after the five minutes time seemed to drag and people could be seen looking at their watches hoping the interval would not be too far off. It brightened up in the second half but not by very much and the songs were rather forgetable. It was part pantomine and part I don't really know, but reminded me of the local folklore evenings I have had to endure whilst on package holidays abroad. Still we all hated Woman in White and loved Chitty so perhaps its us who don't appreciate the finer things! - 80.46.138.62) | 19 Jan 05 |
| This is an enjoyable show with its plus and minuses. The sets and costumes are truely breathtaking and wonderfully inspired - this is what the show's reputation is built on. The staging is beautiful with great theatrical ideas. The choir is very powerful, and if you enjoy a cappella singing and harmonies, then this is a real treat. Some of the actors are outstanding - Timon and Pumbaa, Rafiki and Scar are great: funny, powerful and wonderfully scary ! But other singers are much weaker and other acting is uneven or less convincing, but this is partly due to the simple script and the shallow characters. Unfortunately, the choreography is very dissappointing and messy - far below anything that i have seen so far in a west end musical and the sound is dreadful with a scaled-down, miked up and tinny sounding orchestra overpowered by often tinny-sounding solo voices. I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5, because i enjoyed the show overall but i did expect more, having heard from many people that this'd be the best show in the west end. So don't expect it to be utterly mindblowing and you will enjoy more, because it does have its flaws. I expected too much and was slightly dissappointed, which doesnt mean that it is bad... Take your kids to this one, but if you want to see "the best show in town", go and see "The Producers" !!! - 84.9.16.163) | 19 Nov 04 |
| Brilliant! As good as the Broadway production. - 206.15.139.115) | 07 Nov 04 |
| It never came alive for me. Was just actors in masks. The brilliant film was lost int the very loud and uninteresting music - USER: Whatsonstage.com (80.43.196.11) | 17 Sep 04 |
| An incredible adaptation of an incredible animated feature film. All of the songs from the film a lovingly recreated and the addition of some new musical numbers also manages to make the exprience sufficiently different from sitting watching the film at home. Of course, this is a Disney musical, so money is not an object and this shows in the amazing set and costumes. The distinct African theme placed on the enture experience is amazing. This show is a MUST SEE.....not just once, but again and again and again! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (158.234.250.66) | 14 Sep 04 |
| The Lion King is the perfect family show as it has something for mums and dads as well. The African part of the score is lovely, could do with more of it. However on my second viewing after about 3 year break I did feel something was lacking. The staging is without doubt a wonder, but if you took that away (staged it like Cats maybe) I dont think it would still be running. I wouldnt see it again now. Better than Chitty tho! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (81.174.228.177) | 01 Sep 04 |
| This was the 3rd show i seen and by far the best, it gave me goose pimples on my arms and the songs were just fantastic. i would recommend it to anyone, the cast was great and props were done just right, any other way would not of fitted into this spectacular. imk going to go see it again soon. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (64.69.191.231) | 27 Aug 04 |
| My 5th visit to the Lion King and still as good as the first time. The way this how has been adapted from the cartoon is truly amazing and the african rhythms are spine tingling. A special metion to Richard Gauntlett who was the best Timon I have seen (he makes a great panto dame as well!!!!) - USER: Whatsonstage.com (212.161.95.133) | 05 Aug 04 |
| Good family show. I was dubious, since it looked sort of...tame...but I enjoyed it, anyway. Not a completely flawless musical score, and not one I'd see again. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.254.0.34) | 16 Jul 04 |
| 2nd time now, and it's still sends shivers down me, truely amazing:-) - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.254.0.34) | 17 Jun 04 |
| If a show was all about spectacle i.e. great sets, costumes make up and puppetry then I would give this show 5 stars as all of these things are undoubtedly the stars of the show. After the initial big opening scene I found myslef pretty bored for the rest of act 1 although act 2 did win me over a bit more. The story was okay but for me only whem the characters of Timon and Pumbaa were on stage did it come alive. The score I felt was rather weak and apart from Hakuna Matata, He Lives In You, The Circle of Life and Can You Feel The Love Tonight (the last two which I already knew from the Elton Joh hits)the rest of the songs were rather forgettable. I am glad that I finally went to see it if only to find out what all the hype was all about but it is a show that realies heavilly on the gimmick of puppetry, sets etc and not the wonder of the script or music. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.254.64.14) | 14 Jun 04 |
| Stunning! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (212.219.59.200) | 31 Jan 04 |
| Majorly overhyped - USER: Whatsonstage.com (144.82.212.217) | 28 Jan 04 |
| Out of this world, I want to be in it, it gave me so much inspiration. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (217.204.106.122) | 13 Jan 04 |
| Excellent, I want to be in it, it gave me so much inspiration. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (217.204.106.122) | 13 Jan 04 |
| I was quite disappointed with this show. The actual script of the play is almost exactly the same as the Disney film and it really does not add that much. I thought it was a real shame as shows in my view should surpass films yet this was practically the same. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (217.42.227.15) | 03 Jan 04 |
| exllecent show, great production and brillant puppetry - USER: Whatsonstage.com (217.15.171.229) | 01 Dec 03 |
| What a brillaiant start! it all began so well! the costume, set, music etc were all amazing! i cant fault it at all! but sadly it began to go downhill from there. I went to see a west end musical, i saw a glorified pantomime. thats not to say its not worth seeing, the effects are amazing (the stampede for instance is tremendous) howeer i couldnt help but feel slightly dissapointed... - USER: Whatsonstage.com (81.131.12.17) | 19 Nov 03 |
| WAUW! Just the ouverture gave me goosebumps! It was amazing... The only things i thought were bad were the dancers, who played not good, because it seemed it was the 50000th show they did. Not that strong... And the 2 children who played Simba and Nala were very bad! "I Just Can Wait to Be King" was not well sung. But the rest... After "Les Mis" this is the best show ever on West End! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (213.224.83.136) | 02 Sep 03 |
| This is the first time for me to attend a show in a theatre in London,,,Fantastic show!...a must see for all ages!I will definetly attend it again at my next holiday to London.I think it was even better than the movie itself. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (213.189.83.102) | 23 Jul 03 |
| This show is AMAZING to say the least. I went to see this production last year Aug 02 and was Fantastic. I had not seen the film before so didn't know what to expect. Sets,Lighting,Costumes are amazing. The actors working the puppets are brilliant and had me in fits of laughter in my seat. This is a show for All the Family. Get your ticket NOW! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (80.5.40.24) | 29 Jun 03 |
| The show is the most breathtaking show I have ever seen in the west end! I have seen it 3 times already and definately plan to see it many more times (which is completely out of character for me as I cannot stand to watch a show more than once). Simply put, the show is a masterpiece. The creative costumes cannot even be imagined.. they can only be seen to be believed and the music was sang with such feeling that it really does give you shivers down your spine. All in all... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this show! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (195.92.168.174) | 09 May 03 |
| The vocals were only 98% up to scratch throughout the first half. Except Circle of Life which sent shivers down my spine, but by the second half something happened and they were extremely powerful! I have never seen such a visually stunning show either making me gasp at all the costumes! You can NOT miss this!! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (81.132.52.151) | 07 May 03 |
| SUPERB! We had front row aisle seats which were brilliant in some ways but we did feel that we missed out on the 'overall picture' - still, a good excuse to go and see it again. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (195.92.168.163) | 19 Apr 03 |
| Fantastic!...a must see! It shattered all my expectations...a definate 5+++++++++! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (81.3.100.66) | 09 Dec 02 |
| I was bitterly disappointed with this show. The opening is amazing as are the costumes and puppets but it hasn't translated well to the stage at all. So much of it has become like a pantomime. A few other little niggles like why does Mufasa take his head off to talk to Simba in one scene?! and others. This show is about three scenes that steal the breath and the rest unamusing guff. Sorry... - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 24 Oct 02 |
| Excellent!!! Ignore the other comments the only word that can describe this show is breathtaking! - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 21 Oct 02 |
| Elton John and Tim Rice's trite songs are the weakest part of an extraordinary score, incorporating African rhythms and pentatonic scales to fantastic effect. (I still don't understand the Chinese music reference in the middle of 'I Just Can't Wait to Be King'..? If it ain't broke...) Great performances all round, although the show does tend to be a little overblown and embarrassing for that. However, the theatrical realization of some tricky narrative elements (Mufasa's death, the apparition of Mufasa in the stars etc etc) are brilliantly done, and retain a sense of tribal storytelling. I loved it. (A work of art? Genius? Actually, let's be real here:- No. It has flaws and suffers from being derived from so many sources.) The main let-down for me are the new Elton John songs - 'The Morning Report', 'The Madness of King Scar' & 'Chow Down'. Bad. Naughty Elton! But the other additions courtesy of Hans Zimmer and Lebo M et al are sublime, and the singing superb. brock_gavin@hotmail.com - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 29 Sep 02 |
| If the Lyceum Theatre had been transformed into an art gallery then I would definatley be giving the display 5 stars, however, this is not the case. I was bitterly dissapointed with the whole show. Well, even I must conceed that the opening 'Circle of Life' was sensational; the costumes, singing, set, lighting... everything worked in harmony and sent shivers down my spine. Unfortunatley, after this, the show began on it's unfortunate death by its own sucess. The worst moments for me were the terrible death of Mufasa (the film version has me in tears - this version almost had be laughing), and the uneccessary torturing extended version of Can You Feel The Love Tonight. Credit to Julie Taymor though, she has some guts to put animals on a stage! Final note: don't go with such high expectations. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 27 Aug 02 |
| very good! - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 07 Jun 02 |
| The show would have been fantastic - Visually stunning. No complaints about the show. However, the theatre will seat late comers. Up to a hour after the performance has started! We spent 37+GBP per seat to attended a saturday night performance and were constantly irritated by people and staff trying to sort out the seating. Huge groups of people were admited for the first 1/2 hour after the performance started (we are talking 30/40 people.....) and then people were advised to stand at the back until a scene break - but as they'd missed the first half hour they stood chating about what could be happenng without the theatre staff asking for quiet. They eventually sat down at 8:25 - almost an hour after curtain up. We were terribly disappointed. It ruined the show. If you go - get front row seats and hope that your fellow theatre goers are punctual and that the staff have been better briefed regarding letting people talk and distrub the show entirely.... - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 19 May 02 |
| The opening sequence is truely amazing and worth the entrance fee. The costumes were beautiful and timon and the wart hog are good scene stealers. A must to watch for everyone of any age. Would go to see it againa and again. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 04 May 02 |
| The opening of this show should actually be at the end as, for me, it was the highlight of what proved to be a very dull offering. Costumes great, performances not so. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 26 Apr 02 |
| JUST GREAT!!! its not one to miss.Within the first five mins of the show i was amased.The animals were brill.Its a show that kids would really enjoy and i WOULD go and see it again if i had the chance - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 21 Apr 02 |
| An amazing spectacle. The opening five minutes takes your breath away. The animals are superbly realised. I have to say the acting and the storline veers into a big budget panto but the target audience don't seem to mind. There is enough to look at to enable you to ignore the flaws. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 24 Mar 02 |
| graet musical - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 15 Mar 02 |
| JUST BRILLIANT - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 13 Mar 02 |
| This is a very good Theatrical performance. the way in which the animals are personified by the cast and the directors, is truly commendable, but still there is still a question over the quality of some of the acting, but as a musical, a heart warming and terriffic performance in the West End. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 01 Jan 02 |
| Quite simply the best musical ever. If you think animals can't be portrayed believably by actors, think again; Julie Taymor's work with the costumes is truly astonishing. The feeling, tempo and sheer genius of the original movie are all here, adapted seamlessly for the stage. Unmissable both for adults and children. This fantastic show leaves you feeling rejuvenated and wanting more! - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 26 Nov 01 |
| Outstanding - a real work of art and feat of engineering. Children and adults will love it equally, but it does last three hours, so it's not for the under 8s. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 29 Oct 01 |
| I loved every minute. The costumes and music were incredible. Julie Taymor is an absolute genius. Genius. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 21 May 01 |
| WOW! Is the only way to describe it. I had exremely high expectations, and it exceeded them by far. The costumes and make-up, the singing, the acting, the choreography, characterisation, sets... i could go on and on, were all fantastic. Definately a must see for ALL. Well worth the money, and a great night out. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 24 Apr 01 |
| yeah, pretty good, but not worht all the hype. there are better things in the West End. And really the music's not up to much. but the costumes are very very very cool so worth paying the price for that if nothing else. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 06 Apr 01 |
| It was the best show i have ever seen, the elephants and the giraffes at the beggining were amazing, the show was just fantastic. its definately not a show to miss and if i had the money and the chance i would go again. Its effective, funny and is dfinately a show for the kids so why not pick up the phone and book your tickets now. - USER: Whatsonstage.com | 08 Mar 01 |
