The Lion King (West End)
Open run 2h 30m
The Lion King (West End)
92

The Lion King (West End) London Reviews and Tickets

92%
(1243 Ratings)
Positive
94%
Mixed
4%
Negative
2%
Members say
Entertaining, Enchanting, Delightful, Clever, Absorbing

About the Show

Disney's 1994 animated film is brought to life in an award-winning theatrical experience.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (626)

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52 Reviews | 1 Follower
100
Great staging, Great singing, Entertaining, Enchanting, Delightful

See it if You want to see one of the biggest musicals on the scene

Don't see it if You don't like musicals at all

52 Reviews | 6 Followers
100
Entertaining, Enchanting, Delightful, Clever, Absorbing

See it if This show is truly amazing, the scenery, costumes, acting and singing are absolute perfection. Colourful, delightful and a truly great show

Don't see it if Nothing to dislike

139 Reviews | 4 Followers
100
Fabulous storytelling!, Fantastic music!, Entertaining, Delightful, Clever

See it if you want to see undeniably impressive theatre Engaging vibrant, demonstrates the rich animal culture of Africa. Amazing ensemble!

Don't see it if No reason not to see it.

91 Reviews | 5 Followers
100
Great staging, Entertaining, Enchanting, Delightful, Absorbing

See it if A must see with kids. Amazing staging. Captivating. One to remember.

Don't see it if You’re not into Disney songs.

122 Reviews | 14 Followers
100
Masterful, Must see, Great singing, Clever

See it if You love theatricality, invention and big bold statements

Don't see it if You expect the animation live on stage. Read more

56 Reviews | 3 Followers
95
Great staging, Great acting, Great singing, Must see, Entertaining

See it if You love disney or its your first musical! Amazing show! Costumes, set, music, singing and puppetry all brilliant.

Don't see it if Your not a Disney fan.

55 Reviews | 5 Followers
94
Great staging, Entertaining, Ambitious

See it if like the story

Don't see it if you want something very childish

56 Reviews | 1 Follower
90
Feel-good, Enchanting, Delightful, Clever

See it if You love Disney and want to see some amazing theatre merging puppets, masks and actors.

Don't see it if You are not a fan of Disney or you want to see the cartoon.

Critic Reviews (5)

The Guardian (UK)
January 4th, 2011

“The kaleidoscopic visual brilliance of Julie Taymor's production...lies the ultimate source of the show's success...The show was, and is, a shrewd synthesis of global avant garde techniques; and, even if nothing matched the opening parade of antelopes, elephants and zebras down the Lyceum aisle, it provided a feast for the eyes...I don't believe it's the archetypal narrative structure that is the secret of the show's success. In the end, the eyes have it.”
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Shy Strange Manic
June 30th, 2022

If there is one thing Disney knows what to do it is put on a big show. This journey into theatre spectacles started with the Disney classic, The Lion King which has existed in theatres worldwide since 1997 and has held strong in the West End since 1999.
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The London Evening Standard
October 20th, 1999

“A beautiful dazzle of invention and imagination...The Disney cartoon's air of sweet whimsy is quite banished. With intricate mobile masks, puppets, exotic costumes and even stilts, these jungle creatures capture a fresh dynamic theatricality...John's very soft-rock music and songs generally serve as no more than a pleasing and heartfelt background. For this is a show where the eyes, not the ears, do the feasting...It lights up the West End with the blaze of Taymor's fabulous imagination.”
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The Telegraph (UK)
October 17th, 2014

“15 years on, it still works brilliantly...It’s easy to overlook what a radical piece of theatre ‘The Lion King’ is, and always was....Taymor has created a world that is fiercely non-literal, often to moving and wondrous effect...There’s a tough-mindedness about her method of story-telling...But it works superbly. The performances in the London production are outstanding."
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Time Out London
March 15th, 2018

“’The Lion King's’ absolute theatricality is astonishing. Techniques from all over the world are smashed together in an explosion of spectacle. It's perfect for a musical, allowing both distinct flavours and an eclectic carnival spirit. Things deflate when it sacrifices this defiant originality for subservient approximation of the film...Its plot is thin...and the score remains disjointed...Nonetheless Taymor's theatrical fireworks...are more than draw enough...A show that demands to be seen.”
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