Disney's The Lion King at Birmingham Hippodrome Review
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Thu 06 Jul 2023 - Sat 16 Sep 2023
Transforming humans into realistic animals, immersing the audience into feeling like they're in the African Pridelands, even recreating a stampede of wildebeests - there really isn't much
Disney's The Lion King can't do. It has to be seen to be believed.
I first saw this award-winning musical over a decade ago when I liked it, but wouldn't say loved it. Since then, it's been updated and has become even more sharp, well-rounded and spectacular.
Disney's The Lion King is the big summer show for
Birmingham Hippodrome . It runs right through until Saturday, September 16 at the Hurst Street Theatre.
Starting off with a flourish, everyone has to be in their seats 10 minutes before the start for a grand opening that involves the cast getting up close to the audience. The opening number of 'Circle of Life' sets a high bar as it's simply breathtaking.
You're left with no doubt that this is
Disney doing big budget, big costumes, basically big everything.
Based on the much-loved
Disney film, the menagerie of animals assemble - from elephant to giraffe. Yes, there are imaginative costumes but also a lot of skill and choreography involved that brings the essence of the wild creatures to life in every careful movement. The lionesses are beautifully graceful, crocodiles snap underwater and puppets with intriguing lighting add another dimension.
Lion masks are above the faces rather than over them to allow personalities and fine acting to shine through. Yet the costumes cleverly somehow allow for masks to swoop down and face the audience at pivotal points too.
The characters we all know and love from Simba to Zazu and mandrill Rafiki have been perfectly cast, including talented child actors. Richard Hurst shines as dastardly Scar but there's not a weak link in there.
The father and son scenes somehow feel even more emotional when acted out on stage with the booming voice of Jean-Luc Guizonne as Mafasa. Plus there are extra songs in the musical that add more drama.
The award-winning soundtrack has all those blissful classics by Elton John and Tim Rice, like 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' and 'Hakuna Matata', which lift this show up another notch. Knowing how key the drums are to African music, it's a nice touch that drummers are up in the balconies, in front of the curtain, keeping the beat alive and bold throughout.
African music and dance naturally feature heavily. Following the interval, there's a particularly epic rendition with singers (that's not in the movies), adding a touch more authenticity to where this story is set.
There's plenty of humour too. Not just from lovable Timon and Pumbaa but panto-style jokes infused into the script about local areas and even referring to the song 'Let It Go from' rival
Disney musical
Frozen.
What makes The Lion King a roaring success is the huge, magnificent sets. It's no easy feat to transfer scenes from film to stage but
Disney's design team has managed it. Starry nights that turn into Mafasa's face, the cliff face on the pridelands and even Timon getting washed away by a river. It's sophisticated stuff.
All ages will love the colourful sets but especially children when they get to see some of their favourite characters up close. The interactive nature of it all gives even more of a thrill.
No doubt, you'll be drawn to your own favourite animals and I particularly liked the hyenas and zebras. There's just so much to notice you won't know where to look first.
One thing's for sure, you'll go wild for
Disney's The Lion King. A truly uplifting, sensational show that is the closest you'll get to hakuna matata as you'll leave feeling like you have no worries in the world.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
WHEN: Thu 6 Jul - Sat 16 Sep 2023
WHERE: Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre, Hurst St, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB, United Kingdom
WEBSITE:
https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/the-lion-king-two
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222485 - 2023-07-13 16:12:52