The Lion King returns to the Edinburgh Playhouse
The Edinburgh Playhouse in coordination with The Walt Disney Company UK has today announced that the award-winning musical THE LION KING will roar back into Edinburgh next summer.
Article Source: Edinburgh Playhouse
Last Updated: 18 November 2021 10:03
Disney are delighted to return to Scotland’s capital for a strictly limited run from 2nd June to 2 July 2022. The cast of over 50 actors, singers and dancers are thrilled to return to the Playhouse stage for the only Scottish dates of the tour.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday 3 December at www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh
The story of THE LION KING roars into life using spectacular masks, puppets, and costumes to tell the story of Simba's epic adventures, as he struggles with the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king.
Theatre Director Colin Marr shares his thoughts: "It’s a real pleasure to be able to welcome the return of Disney's The Lion King to the Edinburgh Playhouse.
We were in the last few weeks of its record breaking five month run when we were forced to close our doors in March 2020.
To see this powerful and emotional show return here is great for Scottish audiences.”
Having played in more than 100 cities in 20 countries on every continent except Antarctica, THE LION KING’s worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history. The landmark musical, which has now been seen by over 110 million people worldwide, last visited Edinburgh Playhouse in 2019.
THE LION KING touring company will be welcoming Stephenson Ardern-Sodje as Simba (images and video of his journey to the Pridelands here) and Nokwanda Khuzwayo as Nala, who previously played the role in Germany and Brazil. Ireland’s Alan Mchale will be returning in a new role as Timon with Cardiff born newcomer Owain Rhys Davies taking the role of Ed. They will join returning principals Matthew Forbes as Zazu, Jean-Luc Guizonne as Mufasa, Richard Hurst as Scar, Rebecca Omogbehin as Shenzi, Thandazile Soni as Rafiki, Carl Sanderson as Pumbaa and Simon Trinder as Banzai.
The UK & Ireland tour cast also includes: Lwando Bam, Mamido Bomboko Souchu, Khanyisani Beato, Jorell Coiffic-Kamall, Rushand Chambers, Tau-En Chien, Elisa Chou, Tevin Daniel, Tim Driesen, Oraine Frater, Adebunmi Gabriel, Brian Gilligan, Daniel Griffith, Alicia Hayward, Zalika Henry, Caleaf Henson, Olivia Jones, Melvin Le Blanc, Jochebel Maccarthy, Zanele Mazibuko, Fallon Mondlane, Zanele Ndlovu, Buhle Nkomo, Craig Pedro, Joaquin Pedro Valdes, Connor Pelé Williams, Tara Price, Kyle Richardson, Cristiane Santos De Jesus, Lukin Simmonds, Sherry Tay, Francesca Thompson, Maria Yim and Bukiwe Zinganto.
Julie Taymor’s internationally celebrated stage adaptation of THE LION KING opened on Broadway in 1997 and 25 global productions in nine different languages have been created since then (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese). The Lion King is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.
The previous tour of THE LION KING broke attendance records across the nation. Since the UK premiere in 1999, THE LION KING London has entertained more than 16 million theatregoers and is the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time.
The stunning artistry of the production is the work of a team of designers which drew on diverse cultural influences to recreate the rich colours and vast expanses of the African savanna in this daring and inspiring reinvention of one of the most successful animated feature films of all time.
Julie Taymor, one of the world’s most innovative directors, brought a vast array of disciplines to THE LION KING, including extensive experience staging epic theatre and opera productions, exploring classic myths through ritualised puppetry, mask, and movement. The Lion King was the first musical Taymor directed in the commercial theatre and she made Broadway history by becoming the first woman to win the Tony Award® for Best Director of a Musical.
The Broadway show’s full creative team, which won five Tony Awards® for its work on The Lion King, reunited in 1999 to recreate the show in London. Julie Taymor and Michael Curry created hundreds of masks and puppets.
Scenic design is by British designer Richard Hudson and lighting is by Donald Holder. Costume design is by Julie Taymor, and choreography by Garth Fagan. The book was adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated feature and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the screenplay.
The original score from the animated film was expanded for the stage and now features 15 musical numbers. As well as writing completely new songs, South African composer Lebo M created an evocative blend of African rhythms and chorales, with additional material by Julie Taymor and Mark Mancina.
Elton John and Tim Rice have added three new numbers to the five that they wrote for the award-winning score of the animated film. The resulting sound of The Lion King is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, including the Academy Award®-winning Can You Feel The Love Tonight and the haunting Shadowland.
Image Credit:by Brinkoff and Mogenburg
Sponsored Links
Latest Glasgow News
Calling all runners... grab a FREE post race drink from Flight Club Glasgow
Flight Club is inviting Glasgow AJ Bell Great Scottish Run participants to celebrate their incredible effort with a complimentary drink on Sunday 5th October!
READ MORE
Flight Club is giving out hundreds of prizes on the streets of Glasgow in October
The team behind the home of Social Darts is embarking on a nationwide charity tour in celebration of its 10th birthday and dishing out treats to its fans along the way!
READ MORE
GlasGLOW adds extra week after 35,000 tickets snapped up in days
City's biggest Halloween show extended as nostalgia-fuelled 'Miles Better' theme takes Glasgow by storm, with new dates on sale on Wednesday 17th September at 7.30am!
READ MORE
Wedding venue Crossbasket Castle unveils exquisite new menu curated by Michelin starred chef Michel Roux
Scotland's premier five-star luxury wedding destination, Crossbasket Castle, has unveiled a new decadent wedding menu crafted exclusively by world-renowned Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
READ MORE
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland graduate joins full cast of Death on the Nile at the Theatre Royal
The full cast has been announced for Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile which comes to the Theatre Royal Glasgow in February.
READ MORE
Spooky season returns to town with the announcement of Paisley Halloween Festival 2025
Paisley Halloween Festival will return to town next month to celebrate the spooky season with a packed programme of frightful fun for all the family!
READ MORE
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition on the big screen in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness from 1st to 19th October 2025.
READ MORE
Matilda the Musical comes to Glasgow for the first time
The Royal Shakespeare Company's smash hit production of Matilda The Musical, based on Roald Dahl's beloved book, will come to Glasgow for the very first time in 2026!
READ MORE
Cineworld 4DX Rewind returns for 2025
Cineworld is excited to announce the return of 4DX Rewind this September across Cineworld 4DX cinemas nationwide!
READ MORE
A jewellery store in Glasgow Fort is doubling in size following investment
Family-owned national diamond, jewellery and watch retailer, Beaverbrooks, is doubling the size of its Glasgow Fort store with a £1.3m investment.
READ MORE
Forget a boring beige Christmas in Glasgow...
This festive season at SWG3, Bongo's Bingo is transporting everyone back to the time where coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme!
READ MORE
Final countdown to the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run 2025 is on
Scotland's greatest running event, the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, will return to Glasgow next month, and there’s still time to secure your place.
READ MORE
Popular Sunday BBQ returns to Glasgow favourite Sebbs
One of Glasgow's favourites is flipping the idea of a traditional roast on its head with the return of its Sunday BBQ later this month.
READ MORE
Marstons and Tom Shepherd join forces once more to serve up the best ever pub pie
Marston's and Michelin-starred chef Tom Shepherd have teamed up once more to serve up The Best Ever Pub Pie to locals across the country.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Fringe smash hit Oran embarks on first UK tour
Òran, the award-winning sell-out hit of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe embarks on its first ever UK tour this autumn as company Wonder Fools take their work to a host of venues across Scotland.
READ MORE
SOAPYFEST raises thousands for Beatson Cancer Charity and Marie Curie
The Barrowland Ballroom was filled with love, laughter, and music as friends, family and supporters came together for SOAPYFEST, raising over £18K in support of Beatson Cancer Charity and Marie Curie
READ MORE
M&Ds teams up with Zombie Infection for a heart pounding, live action horror attraction
M&D's is set to transform into Scotland's Scream Park with the launch of Zombie Checkpoint, a live action immersive horror experience creating a heart racing adventure not for the faint hearted.
READ MORE
Topgolf Glasgow launches new field goal challenge game this autumn
Topgolf Glasgow is bringing a taste of the gridiron to Scotland this autumn with the launch of its brand-new Field Goal Challenge game.
READ MORE
GlasGLOW sells over 20,000 tickets in first hour as fans rush to relive 80s magic
GlasGLOW fever has gripped Glasgow once again, with more than 20,000 tickets for this year's GlasGLOW's Miles Better show snapped up within just 60 minutes of being released.
READ MORE
Iconic films to take centre stage at Vue venues in Scotland
Iconic movies celebrating key milestones this year are returning to Vue for a limited run - including Steven Spielberg classic Jaws.
READ MORE
20 expert sessions at The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show
The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show will be packed with expert speakers when it returns to the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston on 4th – 5th October 2025.
READ MORE
A Taste of Loch Lomond Book launches with live cooking demo at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival
Love Loch Lomond will officially launch its new publication, A Taste of Loch Lomond – Stories and Flavours from the Bonnie Banks, at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 7th September.
READ MORE
Even more acts added to Tenement Trail 2025, set to take over the East End on Saturday 11th October
Multi-venue music festival taking over Glasgow's East End this October confirms Dead Pony and 14 new acts!
READ MORE
2025 Aye Write programme announced as tickets go on sale for annual book festival
Tickets will go on sale for Aye Write, Glasgow's long-established and much-loved book festival, at 11am today.
READ MORE
Seriously fun ideas for your work Christmas Party
It might only be September, but the C-word is not too far away, so it's time to start thinking about planning the annual office Christmas shindig before everything gets booked up!
READ MORE
Birds Fried Chicken launches collaboration series with Corner Shop
Birds Fried Chicken is taking its signature Southern-style fried chicken out of its natural Shawlands habitat and into new, unexpected settings with the launch of Rare Birds!
READ MORE
Buchanan Galleries champions Zero Waste Week with retailer initiatives for conscious consumers
Buchanan Galleries is marking Zero Waste Week (1 – 5 September 2025) by showcasing the centre's wide range of sustainable retail initiatives!
READ MORE
Business Gateway launches its first ever Scottish Start Up Month
Business Gateway, Scotland's national business support service, has launched Scottish Start-Up Month, a nationwide campaign to celebrate Scotland's entrepreneurial spirit.
READ MORE
Pop up play town brings big imaginations to little ones
A new role-play experience is popping up in community venues across Greater Glasgow this month bringing pint-sized professions and plenty of pretend fun to preschoolers and their families.
READ MORE
Local musicians to perform at outdoor charity concert at Nostrana restaurant
Summer may be over, but music festival season is still here, with an exciting outdoor concert in aid of Mary's Meals taking place in Glasgow's West End on Sunday 7th September.
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links