Disney’s award-winning musical The Lion King is holding a nationwide call out for singers and dancers who wish to join the West End company in the future.
The production is looking for talented performers to work with industry professionals to develop their skills.
New members of the company would join an international cast of over 50 actors, singers and dancers at the musical’s home in London - the Lyceum Theatre - where the production has been seen by over 18 million people in the last two decades. Open auditions will take place across the country throughout October.
Auditions for singers and dancers will take place in Birmingham (9 October), Manchester (28 October), London (9 October - dancers, 23 October - singers) and Leeds (29 October). Morning registration is at 10am and it is advised that auditionees arrive early. The afternoon registration is at 1.30pm.
Singers should be of excellent ability and be able to dance well in order to make up the ensemble. The casting team is also looking for strong dancers with a modern dance background and acrobatic skills are keenly desired.
Singers should be prepared to sing a contemporary pop or rock song and should bring the sheet music. There will be no backing tracks, so auditionees should bring sheet music with them. Dancers must be warmed up and ready to dance in jazz shoes or bare feet.
Dancers may also be asked to sing and should therefore prepare one rock or pop song that showcases their voice and vocal range. 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.
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 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.
