The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland has today announced the principal company for the UK and Ireland tour of the landmark musical The Lion King which will open in Bristol in September 2019 before moving on to Edinburgh in December 2019. Further cities will be announced in due course.
THE LION KING will welcome new cast members from Belgium, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Ireland, France, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Nigeria, Saint Martin, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom and United States of America. The roles of Simba, Nala and Rafiki will be played by Dashaun Young, Josslynn Hlenti and Thandazile Soni respectively. The company will also include Steve Beirnaert, Matthew Forbes, Jean-Luc Guizonne, Richard Hurst, Alan McHale, Rebecca Omogbehin, Carl Sanderson, and Simon Trinder.
The 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 over 15 million theatregoers and remains the West End’s best-selling stage production and the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time. The Lion King is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.
American actor Dashaun Young will play the role of Simba which he first performed in 2007 on the North American tour, and subsequently performed in The Lion King on Broadway, West End, Vegas and South Korea. He has also performed in Broadway productions of Motown The Musical and Beautiful The Carole King Musical.
