Disney’s The Lion King is one of the most successful musicals of all time. Based on the hit animated film of the same name and premiering on Broadway in 1997, the show has been seen by more than 110 million people across six continents.

This summer, the musical returns to Birmingham Hippodrome for a 10-week run. Playing the part of the adult Simba is an actor who grew up determined that he too would be king. As a youngster in the Caribbean island of St Kitts, Kyle Richardson fell in love with the story and its songs.

“I loved it so much that I broke the VHS through watching it too much!” he says. “And I really wanted to be Simba in the show.

“They do auditions for The Lion King in Trinidad every five to six years, so I went to audition when I was about 20, but I didn’t get it at that point. Then they came back five years later, and I auditioned again and didn’t get it again. But then the last time I auditioned, which was in 2019, I was offered a part.”
Kyle initially joined the ensemble but had his eyes on the prize. After a period as understudy for Simba, he was finally offered the part for the UK tour last December. 

“I knew from the moment I saw the Simba costume and heard the songs that it was a role I wanted, but it took a bit of time!

“The role of Simba is so close to my character - who I am as a person as well as a lot of what he’s going through. I can see parallels to my journey. Every night delving deeper into this character allows you to explore your personal issues, so for me it’s almost like a therapeutic session every time I’m on stage! It allows you to have that moment with the audience of saying ‘I’m vulnerable, this is what I am experiencing.’ And I think everybody can connect to that.”

Kyle believes The Lion King has been so successful because of the strength of its story and characters.
“Anybody who comes to see the show is going to be able to get something from it. It is a spectacle, with the intricate puppetry, the costumes and the amazing staging, but it’s also a story for everyone. For the kids, it’s the animals; for the teenagers, it’s the idea that ‘I might be going through this as well,’ and for the adults, it’s ‘I remember when I used to have these issues and what I did to deal with them.’ Everyone is going to get something different.”
South African actress Nokwanda Khuzwayo, who plays female lead Nala in the UK tour, is keeping it in the family - her twin sister Nokubonga has also portrayed Nala in The Lion King international tours.
“I always hear people saying they saw the show when they were children, but I was about 21 or 22 the first time I saw it, and that was because my sister was in it,” Nokwanda recalls. “When I saw it, I was blown away - and that’s when I knew I wanted to be in the show.”
Nokwanda auditioned in Johannesburg and toured with the production in Brazil, China and Germany. Initially she was in the ensemble before being offered the lead role - and she admits to a bit of sibling rivalry.

“There was a part of me that said I need to do it better than my sister! She hasn’t been to see me yet, but I know she’s going to give me lots of notes when she does.
“I’ve learnt so much from the character of Nala and from her journey. I’m actually quite shy, but I’ve learnt how to be stronger and to speak up.”
Nokwanda says the costumes and masks, which are a signature of the show, also help her form the character.

“You get accustomed to doing it every day, and for the costume and the mask you are wearing to become part of the role and part of your body. So now if you tell me to do it without my mask, it doesn’t feel real. My sister took a break from The Lion King and did some TV. Every time I watched her, she would do this move, and it’s interesting because it’s actually from The Lion King and is now so ingrained in her.”

Matthew Forbes, who plays the hornbill royal attendant Zazu, has been with The Lion King for four years.

“This is one of those magical musicals which I have always been a massive fan of,” he says. “I remember seeing it with my grandparents when I was very little in London. It just blew me away the first time I saw it. I remember sitting in the auditorium during Circle Of Life and just having a really strong response to it and wanting to be part of that story.”

Zazu brings much of the comedy to the show.

“He has such brilliant one-liners. There are lots of gags there, and we try to make many of them local to the city where we are, which is really fun. Comedy is always difficult - you’re always nervous in case people don’t find you funny - but this show has been so beautifully written and is so well-crafted that audiences always laugh.”

Matthew, who grew up in Leicester, also draws on all of his expertise as a puppeteer - a skill he first honed in the National Theatre production of War Horse.

“Zazu is one of the most complicated puppets in the show - his eyes blink, his mouth moves, his wings open, he’s got two little feet that are responsive, and then his neck is a slinky kind of thing. He’s so expressive. Every performance you’re making sure that he’s coming to life and then focusing on the words, and the dance moves, and not falling off the stage! It’s quite complicated, but I love bringing him to life.”

And Matthew also loves being part of the show. “When I was younger, I thought it was beautiful and wonderful, but then as I grew up, I realised it has some quite adult themes. It’s a story of overcoming adversity, of friendship, of trying to work out where you sit within the world.

“It’s such a popular show - everybody loves it. And it’s just a joy as a performer to work on a show that has such an exciting buzz.”

Disney’s The Lion King shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Thursday 6 July to Saturday 16 September

by Diane Parkes