Getting to Know You: Posi Morakinyo and Asha Parker-Wallace – meet The Lion King’s new Simba and Nala

As confirmed today, Posi Morakinyo and Asha Parker-Wallace will be taking over the roles of Simba and Nala in the West End production of The Lion King from Tuesday, 5 May 2026.

Parker-Wallace, a recent ArtsEd graduate, earned a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for her professional debut as Nikki in Burlesque The Musical at the Savoy Theatre, while Morakinyo, who studied at Italia Conti, made his stage debut in Madagascar The Musical and has gone on to perform in the likes of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, the RSC’s Much Ado About Nothing, The Fear of 13 alongside Adrien Brody, Mandela the Musical, and For Black Boys... The pair recently appeared together in the Almeida Theatre’s revival of American Psycho.

We’ve dedicated our latest episode of “Getting to Know You” to the talented duo and you can watch the full video below:

Directed by Julie Taymor, the stage adaptation of The Lion King opened on Broadway in 1997 before transferring to London in 1999, where it continues to run at the Lyceum Theatre.

The musical features a score by Elton John and Tim Rice, with additional material by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Taymor.

Tickets are on sale below.