The wait is over - The Lion King is back on the stage of the Bristol Hippodrome after three years and Disney has thrown everything at it.
First, there’s The Lion King merchandise stall - the biggest I’ve seen for any show - and then you notice something different about the auditorium itself.
Not only has the central aisle gone, but two new ones have been created on either side of the stalls - Disney even has the power to rearrange and move the normally fixed Hippodrome seats.
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And then you spot two of the boxes have been taken over by drums and percussion instruments to add to the surround-sound.
But nothing quite prepares you for the opening scene of this award-winning Broadway and West End show, which has played in more than 100 cities in 20 countries.
Having never seen The Lion King before, I really didn’t know what to expect but I certainly didn’t expect such a spectacular opening.
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As the sun rises on stage, every corner of the Hippodrome comes alive with the sights of sounds of Africa.
There are tribal singers calling from spotlit boxes on the side of the venue and on stage, but then the magic starts as a parade of animals walk through the audience, down the aisles and onto the technicolour stage.
It’s not often you see a huge elephant brush past you as you’re still taking off your coat and trying to locate your bag of sweets - just as the ensemble launches into Circle of Life - the best-known song written by Elton John and Tim Rice.
On stage, towering giraffes totter on stilt-like legs and jungle birds on telescopic poles swoop and dive. It’s a carnival of delights and the closest you’ll get to a wildlife safari this side of Africa … or Longleat.
As reflected in the hefty ticket prices, this is a full-blown stage show designed for Broadway and West End stages and transported to regional theatres for a post-pandemic UK and Ireland tour.
There is an international cast of over 50 actors, singers and dancers, as well as a full-scale orchestra in the pit beneath the stage. Disney simply doesn’t skimp when it comes to putting on a stage show like this.
With the use of spectacular masks, puppets and costumes, Julie Taymor’s production of this Disney classic tells the story of lion cub Simba's epic adventures, as he struggles with the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king.
From start to finish, the stage is bathed in the rich golden colours of the savanna and the sounds and rhythms of Africa.
But it’s a curious show, too, because it doesn’t rely on huge singalong songs - the opener Circle of Life is arguably the only real stand-out number - and it’s not carried by any big household names or truly exceptional individual performances.
It’s very much an ensemble piece that focuses as much on movement than anything else and the cast members working the superb and elaborate costumes and puppets are the true stars.
That said, French actor Jean-Luc Guizonne brings a real depth to the part of Mufasa and Bath-born and Bristol-trained Richard Hurst adds a pantomime villain menace to the role of Scar.
As Zazu, Matthew Forbes displays a mastery of puppetry and his quip that the backdrop ‘looks like a shower curtain bought from St Nick’s Market’ went down well with the Bristol crowd.
Stephenson Ardern-Sodje as Simba and South African actress Nokwanda Khuzwayo as Nala made memorable debuts in the show.
But for me it was the snuffling warthog Pumbaa (played with brilliant comic timing by Carl Sanderson) and a green-sprayed Alan McHale working the Timon meerkat puppet who stood out from this carnival of African beasts.
Colourful, immersive, funny, tightly choreographed and full of surprises, this is as good as live theatre gets. If you can get a ticket, you really must go.
The Lion King is at Bristol Hippodrome until March 19. For tickets, go to atgtickets.com
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