Lion King reminds us of good in all of us say show's stars

Now The Lion King has effectively taken up residency in Manchester - it’s scheduled to be at the Palace Theatre until March.

For two of the stars of the hit musical based on the Disney movie, the virtual frenzy to get tickets to see the show comes as no surprise.

Stephenson Ardern-Sodje has just handed over the main role of Simba to Kyle Richardson, but brought the show to Manchester in October while Nokwanda Khuzwayo continues in the role of Nala.

“I grew up with the film,” said Stephenson. “I’m the prime demographic I suppose and for so many of us from that generation it’s almost one of our biblical texts really. It was such a formative thing, I can imagine the excitement that the show coming to a city will bring.

“When you look over the audience when that first note sounds you can see kids who were my age when I saw the film, you see parents, you see people of all ages and you can see that it means so much to every one of them.

“It is such a privilege and such a joy to be the next people to carry the torch for this show.”

Nokwanda, who has appeared in the show in Brazil, Shaghai and Germany, has been amazed at the reaction from audiences in Manchester.

“You can see how excited they are to have the show, “ she said. “In some countries the audience may be a little more reserved but you can tell from their faces they are so happy. But here in Manchester we knew from the first moment; they were so lively.”

The Lion King follows Simba’s journey from lion cub as he struggles to accept his destiny and become leader of the pride. Nala is the feisty lioness who brings him to his senses and helps him fulfill his potential.

“Simba isn’t your typical Disney prince,” said Stephenson. “Without giving too much away he does go through a traumatic event and pushes away the responsibilities he has and the things he knows he’s supposed to do and so spends quite lot of the show both literally and metaphorically lost in the woods.”

Although there is a genuine story running through the show, both Stephenson and Nokwanda accept that audiences are most taken with the spectacle of the production.

Over 50 performers bring the story to life and a staggering 232 puppets feature in the show.

“We have a full sized elephant down to a mouse,” said Stephenson. “the whole of the animal kingdom is there and the puppeteers are superb.

“Whether it’s your first theatrical experience or you have seen 100 shows, I truly believe you have never seen anything like The Lion King which makes it such an enduring theatrical piece.”

The statistics certainly back that up. It has been running in London’s West End for more that 23 years and a staggering 110 million people have experienced the show around the world.

“There is no one star so whoever you are or whatever stage of life you are at there is a person you can identify with in the show,” said Stephenson. “Also even though we are playing animals there is just so much humanity on stage, there is always something that resonates with the audience.”

Nokwanda agreed that the show has a real relevance.

“As a young girl growing up in South Africa you were told if you are a girl you can’t speak up, you can’t do this or that. This role shows that you can do so many things, it’s amazing,” she said.

Stephenson added: “At a time where there is so much turmoil and uncertainty in the world, to have something that people can come to and put that turmoil to one side for a few hours and be reminded of the good in people, in community coming together and fighting for a cause as a group is a wonderful thing.

“The 232 puppets are all different species. It show that more that unites us than divides us and it’s really nice to spread that message every night.

“Even in the cast we have people from 17 different countries - it’s truly international. And all these people are putting something together that needs to be seen to be believed and it happens eight times a week.”

The Lion King doesn’t just have an impact on the audience each night. The cast too are affected.

“My character Nala is so different to me,” said Nokwanda. “I’m quite shy actually but every time I go on stage, I find this warrior woman. I’ve learned so much through playing this role; I love it. When I went home recently to South Africa, the first thing my mum said was ‘you’ve changed, you’ve grown. There’s something about you. You’re more confident’. I guess a bit of Nala is rubbing off on me.”

The Lion King, Palace Theatre, Manchester, until Saturday, March 11. Details from www.atgtickets.com