The Lion King/ Lyceum Theatre

Last night Bob Tickler organised a trip to The Lion King to celebrate the birthday of his Godson. A long term musical branded by Disney is not really my bag but one should go with an open mind. This was helped by a pre theatre meal at Joe Allen’s. This has been going even longer than any West End musical serving burgers and high class New York deli food. We all found it delicious and at £32 per head with cocktails, wine and several courses in a lively ambience with excellent service good value. We were set up for a short stroll around the corner to the Lyceum.

The Lyceum seats 2000 and was full. It was also poorly ventilated. The problem with so many West end theatres is their age. Elton John and Sir Tim Rice score the musical. It is set in the jungle. Simba a young lion is displaced from his kingdom after the death of his Lion King father and returns to claim it. Jamie’s mother was not alone in finding the Swahili incantation of music tedious and the musical lacked one great song. Nonetheless the costumes in which the cast was dressed as various animals and the sets compensated for any musical weakness. Above we were carried by Jamie perched on his seat taking it all in enthusiastically. It was a production which engaged children without ostracising the parents: the secret of Spielberg and Disney.

I was concerned that as the story features death, devouring animals, nasty shrill hyenas might upset Jamie but his mother said that in the video world of computer games these young children inhabit we should not be perturbed. Disney have a slick merchandising operations at at £9.00 for a glass of Sauvignon a very pricey bar. One feature I noted which you would not have seen a month ago was intense security. Your tickets were taken outside the theatre debarring entrance to the auditorium of non ticket holders and there was a man who did not know what a dress circle was nor how it could be located who was a dedicated security officer but not one on which I had much faith.