Video

Coming full "Circle" – former young Nalas and Simbas discuss returning to The Lion King as adults

The show is preparing to return to the Lyceum Theatre

Alex Wood

London

15 July 2021

Left to right: Angela Hurst (young Nala in 2001, Reece Darlington Delaire (young Simba in 2008), Deja Linton (young Nala in 2010) and Kaun Frye (young Simba in 2007) — Left to right: Angela Hurst (young Nala in 2001, Reece Darlington Delaire (young Simba in 2008), Deja Linton (young Nala in 2010) and Kuan Frye (young Simba in 2007)

Coming full "circle"! The Lion King has long had a tradition of discovering and accelerating young talent, and this often repays itself in kind when former young stars re-join the show.

Kuan Frye (young Simba in 2007), Deja Linton (young Nala in 2010), Angela Hurst (young Nala in 2001) and Reece Darlington-Delaire (young Simba in 2008) have all re-joined the West End show (which gears up to return to action after being disrupted by the pandemic).

You can watch the quartet of returning stars discuss joining the iconic Disney stage show below:

Julie Taymor's adaptation of the classic film first opened on Broadway in 1997, coming to the West End two years later. The record-breaking piece has been closed since the onset of the pandemic, but is set to reopen in late July, when the government's roadmap has reached step four. Tickets for The Lion King are on sale now.