The timeless story of Disney’s The Lion King – which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year- will roar to life in Gauteng in 2024 as part of a new collaboration between National Children’s Theatre (NCT) and Disney Theatrical Group (DTG).
NCT will stage The Lion King Jr, Disney’s Junior production of the internationally celebrated musical, with a cast of 50 young people aged 13 and under. This will be the first time the Junior production, which is specially created for use in schools, is performed in South Africa.
The performance will be the culmination of NCT’s education initiative “Musical Theatre in Schools”. Inspired by Disney Musicals in Schools, which has built sustainable theatre programmes in schools throughout the US and UK for over a decade, this new programme will see facilitators from NCT and DTG work closely with five primary schools in Gauteng for three months. Together they will deliver life skills, creative curriculum and offer training and inspiration to teachers to ensure that the skills and ideas generated by the programme can be transferred to the school teams and the benefits felt for years to come.
Towards September, a selection of pupils from each of the five schools will come together to form a new youth theatre company at NCT. They will rehearse and perform The Lion King Jr which will premiere at the NCT campus in Parktown, Johannesburg in early November 2024. In addition, NCT’s young performers will learn a wide range of new theatrical skills, including mask-making and puppetry, widening their exposure to the world of musical theatre.
“South Africa lies at the heart of The Lion King, so much of director Julie Taymor’s celebrated production is influenced by music, design and culture of South African communities” comments Nancy Shakerley, Education & Audience Engagement Manager, Disney Theatrical Group. “This is a wonderful and unique opportunity partner with National Children’s Theatre to grow the reach and engagement of the arts amongst young people through this beloved story”.
“We’re over the moon to be launching The Lion King Jr program in association with Disney Theatrical Group,” says NCT Board Chair Moira Katz. It fully aligns with NCT’s mission to use theatre arts and “edutainment” programs to help develop South Africa’s next generation of leaders.”
“With the show’s African setting, there is an obvious link to our continent,” says Tamara Guhrs, NCT CEO. “South Africa is also a rich provider of the talent that gives The Lion King productions across the world their unique character. We are hopeful that this production will inspire the next generation of performers via NCT.”
“We are delighted that this exciting and impactful theatre program from Disney Theatrical Group and NCT will be entertaining South Africans in this 30th anniversary year of The Lion King,” says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa. “We cannot wait for audiences young and old to experience this unique, deeply locally connected iconic Disney story.”
First released in cinemas in 1994, Disney’s hit animated blockbuster The Lion King has captivated the imagination of audiences around the world for 30 years, inspiring multiple films – including Mufasa which is set for release this December – and the hit musical on which Disney’s The Lion King Jr is based. Director Julie Taymor’s award-winning stage adaptation which is celebrating 25 years in London’s West End has been seen in over 100 cities with more than 112 million people experiencing the breath-taking musical. Using spectacular masks, puppets and costumes it tells the story of Simba’s epic adventures, as he struggles with the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king. Both the stage adaptation and The Lion King Jr. feature classic songs from the 1994 film such as “Hakuna Matata” and the Academy Award®-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” as well as additional songs penned for the musical production.