The Lion King

Season confirmed for Disney’s THE LION KING at the Edinburgh Playhouse from 5th December and Relaxed Performance announced.

It’s the news that audiences from across Scotland have been waiting for, The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland and the Edinburgh Playhouse today announced tickets to the award-winning musical THE LION KING will go on sale from 5 March 2019.

The iconic musical will be performed at The Edinburgh Playhouse from 5 December 2019.

The UK Tour of Disney’s THE LION KING is exclusively supported by VeryMe Rewards from Vodafone UK. The agreement will see Vodafone offering its customers pre-sale tickets 24 hours before they become available elsewhere.

ATG TheatreCard holders will be able to purchase pre-sale tickets from 8am on Tuesday 5 March, with the official ATG Tickets and Disney pre-sale launching at 10am also on Tuesday 5 March.

Tickets will be going on general sale online, by phone and at the Edinburgh Playhouse’s box office from 8am on Wednesday 6 March, with demand expected to be huge. http://tidd.ly/90988495

The production has also today announced that it will hold a dedicated Relaxed Performance in Edinburgh on Sunday 26 January 2020 at 1:30pm. Disney’s THE LION KING is committed to creating a friendly and inclusive audience experience. Having now hosted five Autism-Friendly performances in London, the landmark musical is delighted to be presenting a Relaxed Performance in each city it visits on the tour. Relaxed Performances are specially adapted to be accessible to a wide range of audiences such as those with autism, those with a learning disability or anyone with a sensory predisposition, with extra trained staff on hand and dedicated quiet areas inside the theatre should anyone need to leave their seat. All patrons who feel this performance might suit their specific needs are warmly encouraged to attend.

Colin Marr, Theatre Director at the Edinburgh Playhouse said: “We have been overwhelmed by the reaction of audiences Scotland-wide to the return of Disney’s THE LION KING to the Playhouse, we can’t wait to get it on sale now!

We’re absolutely thrilled and honoured to be hosting a Relaxed Performance, THE LION KING was the first show to offer this at the Playhouse in 2013 and was a tremendous success. We look forward to building on this, working with our community partners and welcoming the widest audience possible.”

Julie Taymor’s internationally-celebrated stage adaptation of THE LION KING opened on Broadway in 1997 and 25 global productions have now been seen by more than 95 million people. Performed in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), productions of THE LION KING can currently be seen on Broadway, London’s West End, Hamburg, Tokyo and Sapporo, Madrid, Scheveningen in Holland, Daegu in South Korea and on tour across North America - a total of nine productions running concurrently across the globe. 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 previous tour of THE LION KING broke attendance records across the nation and the 2019 tour coincides with THE LION KING celebrating 20 years at London’s Lyceum Theatre. Since the UK premiere in London on Tuesday 19th October 1999, THE LION KING has entertained more than 15 million theatregoers and remains the West End’s best-selling stage production and the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time.

With a cast of more than 50 actors, singers and dancers, the story of THE LION KING is miraculously brought to life using masks, puppets and striking costumes to tell the story of young Simba's epic adventures as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king. The stunning simplicity 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 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: Johan Persson

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