Press.disney.co.uk
Priority booking sign-up opens today, Friday 6 December 2019
General tickets go on sale February 2020
The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland and the Palace Theatre have today announced that Disney’s The Lion King will return to Manchester in 2020.
The iconic musical that was seen by over 388,000 when it visited Manchester in 2012 and 2015 will return from 22 October 2020 – 31 January 2021. General tickets go on sale in February 2020 and patrons can sign up for priority access at either www.atgtickets.com/the-lion-king-tour or www.thelionking.co.uk from today, Friday 6 December 2019.
The UK cities of The Lion King tour are exclusively supported by VeryMe Rewards from Vodafone UK. Vodafone customers will be the first to access pre-sale tickets through the My Vodafone app at 8am on Friday 31 January 2020.
This year, The Lion King celebrated an incredible 20 years in the West End. The musical had its premiere in London on 19 October 1999 at the Lyceum Theatre, which remains its home in London.
Additional ticket information
ATG Card holders and Groups members will be able to purchase tickets from 8am on Monday 3 February 2020 and ATG and Disney sign up list priority can buy tickets from 8am on Tuesday 4 February 2020.
Tickets will be going on general sale from 8am on Thursday 6 February 2020, with demand expected to be huge.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.atgtickets.com/manchester or www.thelionking.co.uk
Relaxed / Accessible performances
The Lion King will also be presented as a dedicated Relaxed Performance on Sunday 31 January 2021 at 1.30pm. The Lion King is committed to creating a friendly and inclusive audience experience. Having now hosted five Autism-Friendly performances in London, the landmark musical is delighted to be presenting a Relaxed Performance in each city it visits on the tour.
Relaxed performances are specially adapted to be accessible to a wide range of audiences such as those with autism, learning difficulties or other sensory and communication needs, with extra trained staff on hand and dedicated quiet areas inside the theatre should anyone need to leave their seat. All patrons who feel this performance might suit their specific needs are warmly encouraged to attend.
Access line: 0800 912 6971
Type talk: 18001 0844 871 7677 (textphone user)
Type talk: 18002 0844 871 7677 (hearing person)
An internationally celebrated stage adaptation
Julie Taymor’s internationally celebrated stage adaptation of The Lion King opened on Broadway in 1997 and 25 global productions have now been seen by more than 100 million people. The Lion King is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.
The show has been performed in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese). In addition to this current UK & Ireland tour, productions of The Lion King can currently be seen on Broadway; London’s West End; Hamburg; Tokyo; Madrid; on tour across Japan and North America, with a separate production touring internationally, for a total of eight productions running concurrently across the globe.
Having played in more than 100 cities in 20 countries on every continent except Antarctica, The Lion King’s worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.
The previous tour of The Lion King broke attendance records across the nation and the 2019 tour coincides with The Lion King celebrating 20 years at London’s Lyceum Theatre. Since the UK premiere in 1999, The Lion King has entertained more than 16 million theatregoers and the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time.
With a cast of more than 50 actors, singers and dancers, the story of The Lion King is miraculously brought to life using masks, puppets and striking costumes to tell the story of Simba's epic adventures as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king.
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.
Ticket information:
• VeryMe Rewards by Vodafone presale: Friday 31 January 2020 at 8am
• ATG Card and Groups Priority on sale: Monday 3 February 2020 at 8am
• ATG and Disney sign up list priority: Tuesday 4 February 2020 at 8am
• General on sale: Thursday 6 February 2020 at 8am
• Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.atgtickets.com/manchester or www.thelionking.co.uk
Performance information:
• Previews: Thursday 22 October – Sunday 1 November
• Premiere/Press Night: Tuesday 3 November 2020 at 7.30pm
• Signed Performances: Thursday 5 November 2020 at 7.30pm
• Captioned Performances: Tuesday 17 November 2020 at 7.30pm
• Audio Described Performances: Thursday 3 December 2020 at 7.30pm
• Relaxed performance: Sunday 31st Jan 2021 at 1.30pm
ABOUT THE LION KING
After 22 landmark years on Broadway, and now in 2019 celebrating 20 years in London, THE LION KING continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13th 1997, 25 global productions have been seen by more than 100 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher, THE LION KING has made theatrical history with six productions worldwide running 15 or more years.
THE LION KING won six 1998 Tony Awards®: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical. THE LION KING has also earned more than 70 major arts awards including the 1998 NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album, the 1999 Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the Year and the 1999 Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.
The show’s director, costume designer and mask co-designer Julie Taymor continues to play an integral part in the show’s ongoing success. The first woman to win a Tony Award® for Direction of a Musical, Taymor has in recent years supervised new productions of the show around the world.
The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s music from THE LION KING animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from "Rhythm of the Pride Lands," an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer.
The resulting sound of THE LION KING is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy Award®-winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” to the haunting ballad “Shadowland.”
The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed THE LION KING animated feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film’s screenplay. Other members of the creative team include: Michael Curry, who designed the masks and puppets with Taymor, Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Ward (hair and makeup design), John Stefaniuk (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer), Clement Ishmael (music supervisor) and Doc Zorthian (production supervisor) and Jill Green Casting CDG (UK Tour casting). Anne Quart serves as co-producer.
For more information on the UK Tour visit thelionking.co.uk
ABOUT DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS (DTP)
Disney Theatrical Productions operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher and is among the world’s most successful commercial theatre producers. Worldwide, its ten Broadway titles have been seen by over 200 million theatregoers, and have been nominated for 20 Olivier Awards, winning the honour five times. With more than 20 productions currently produced or licensed, a Disney musical is being performed professionally somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day.
Current London productions include: The Lion King celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Lyceum Theatre in October, Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre, and new for autumn 2020 is Frozen the Musical which will reopen the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Other London credits: the Olivier-nominated play Shakespeare in Love and DTP’s inaugural production Beauty and the Beast, which won the Olivier Award for Best Musical. Other productions on Broadway and around the world: Newsies, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Little Mermaid, TARZAN® and Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida. Other successful stage musical ventures have included productions of Disney’s High School Musical, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame in Berlin, and King David in concert.
For further information, images and interview requests please contact Alison Parsons at the Palace Theatre and Opera House Manchester on 0161 245 6615 | email alisonparsons@theambassadors.com