Long live the 'Lion King'

I recently had the pleasure of watching the musical The Lion King Jnr, a collaboration between the National Children’s Theatre (NCT) and Disney Theatrical Group (DTG), the live-show and musical-production arm of The Walt Disney Company.

With a cast of 50, ranging between the ages of 6 and 13, I was astounded by the sheer talent crowded onto the NCT's tiny 20m stage in Parktown, Johannesburg. The freshly formed company is part of the NCT’s education initiative “Musical Theatre in Schools” with facilitators from NCT and DTG having worked closely with five primary schools in Gauteng since February. With the ensemble coming from NCT's Saturday workshop programme; the target schools; and the National School of the Arts, the power of the arts to affect young lives was wonderful to witness.  

The NCT’s collaboration with the DTG is a first time for South Africa and I fervently hope it's a relationship that will allow the NCT, under the leadership of CEO Tamara Guhrs, to expand its arts-training workshops, as is the plan. The programme was designed to teach not just musical-theatre skills but to also feed into the school curriculum, providing life skills, training and inspiration for teachers that will benefit future generations of learners. 

An arts education has been proven to enhance the holistic development of young children, creating confidence, self-awareness, communication skills, empathy, sensitivity and group awareness with studies proving that children exposed to the arts become better all-round learners. After the performance, I was privileged to meet the young cast and was amazed by their confidence, poise, understanding of the themes of the play and ability to describe their experiences. These were primary-school students exhibiting all the confidence of Broadway divas. And divas they deserve to be. 

The choir, 13 voices from Donaldson Primary School in Soweto, were sublime — heavenly young voices providing an African soundscape that foregrounded the voices of the talented Simphiwe Ndlovu as a vibrant Rafiki; Benjamin Haw’s languid Scar; and Amani Mbatha, whose impish portrayal of Zazu was pure delight.

All the child actors were on point, singing, dancing and sidestepping adroitly on the tiny stage with an inspired set by renowned theatre designer Sarah Roberts. Directed by award-winning Mkhululi Mabija, with musical arrangement by Dale Ray Scheepers and choreographed by Bisi Bangiwe, this 70-minute musical struck the high notes. The audience agreed, especially the wide-eyed toddlers crouched at the foot of the stage, eyes shining with delight and awe as the talented cast transformed a sedate Sunday morning into a safari, deep within the plains of Africa.  

SOUTH AFRICA'S PRIDE

This year marks the 27th anniversary of the Broadway musical, with imagery, sounds and languages rooted in a South African cultural landscape largely due to the artistry of Lebo M and the unmistakable South African voices providing an awe-inspiring musical score.

Over the years, hundreds of talented young South Africans have joined the Broadway and London shows as well as international touring companies, bringing a unique quality to the show that's made it the most celebrated and fourth-longest-running musical on Broadway with multiple awards, including an Oscar for Lebo M for musical arrangement.

He, and the original Broadway show director Julie Taymor, ensure that South Africans feature in every production wherever it is staged in the world. NCT’s Mufasa played by Xabiso March and his sister Unathi, who plays a lioness, have a relative in one of the Lion King's touring productions, so I have little doubt that members of NCT’s The Lion King Jnr company will tread the boards as professional musical theatre actors in The Lion King musicals of the future. 

The Disney Company is synonymous in the world of global entertainment with animation movies, children’s entertainment, and Disney Worlds; converting these creative properties into franchises worth billions of dollars. The Lion King movies, theatre musicals, touring productions, CDs, TV series, video games, and memorabilia make it one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time.  

2024 has been one long Lion King celebration marking 30 years since the release of the Lion King movie in June 1994. It’s also 30 years of freedom for South Africa and parallels between Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment and release have interesting echoes for the musical. 

THE TALE CONTINUES

December 20 sees the release of Mufasa: The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins with John Kani again providing the sonorous voice of Rafiki. Another South African actor, Kagiso Lediga, voices the young Rafiki. In time for the holidays, Mufasa: The Lion King is a photo-realistically created film, both a prequel and sequel to the 1994 and 2019 versions of the tale. The script focuses on Mufasa’s origins, his friendships, relationships, and the pivotal events that led to his eventual reign as king of the Pride Lands. Of equal interest is that we finally get to understand why Scar becomes an embittered, manipulative and scheming brother. 

Since the first Disney release of the animated film, world-famous actors, singers and comedians have vied for the privilege of voicing the beloved characters including James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Donald Glover, Moira Kelly, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Jeremy Irons, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Owen Atkinson, John Oliver, Seth Rogen, Robert Guillaume, Thandi Newton, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, and Alfre Woodard. Once again, a star-studded cast that includes Beyoncé’s daughter promises to make Mufasa: The Lion King a must-see during this Xmas season.

• The National Children's Theatre in Parktown, Johannesburg, runs Saturday workshops for children aged 7-17. For more information, e-mail hello@nctheatresa.org.za; call 011-484-1584 or visit the website.