The much-loved musical The Lion King has returned to the Capitol Theatre, where it will once again capture the hearts of a new generation and delight fans with its timeless puppetry magic almost 30 years after it was first staged.
Attending the opening night of The Lion King at the Capitol Theatre on April 23, I was hit by the thought that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
It’s 13 years since I attended the red-carpet premiere of The Lion King’s last run at The Capitol Theatre and it is still Buyi Zama leading the show as Rafiki as she did when I first saw Julie Taymor’s thrilling production.
Nick Afoa has completed his own circle of life, graduating from Simba in 2013 to Mufasa in 2026, the only performer in the global Lion King family to have played both.
Even the guest list hasn’t changed much, give or take an influencer or two. But in the years since The Lion King last roared through Sydney, digital screens and technology have become a central component in many theatre productions, including MJ the Musical and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, to build their worlds.
But The Lion King, stubbornly and gloriously, still doesn’t. It’s a musical held together by one of the oldest tricks in the book — puppetry — and that’s exactly why it still works and is as breathtaking as when I first saw it.
The Lion King is often described as a musical for people who don’t necessarily love musicals. And much of that can be put down to the phenomenal world-building that brings the African savannah to life. The actors and dancers brilliantly manipulate their animal masks and bodies until their characters are one and when the entire stage is filled with herds of wildebeasts, zebras, elephants and gazelles it is truly magical.
It’s like a giant evolutionary leap from the puppets who stole my heart in Sesame Street or The Muppets when I was child.
As Buyi Zama’s voice fills the theatre, it’s clear why she has played this role in three productions. She brings wisdom, warmth and mischievous humour to character that is at the emotional heart of the show. Daniel Frederiksen is a deliciously devilish Scar, who makes the most of the best lines he’s given, and the young Simba and Nala are enchanting performers.
I won’t spoil them here but there’s a few cheeky local references sprinkled into the script, details which made the audience laugh despite them being quite incongruous to the African landscape.
Having watched the film with my children and become familiar with the songs, there’s an emotional connection baked into the production that swept me away during the soaring hits of He Lives in You and Circle of Life.
The Lion King is undeniably entertaining and while theatregoers of all ages will love it, it’s particularly well-suited to families with older children. The production is quite lengthy, two-and-a-half hours long with a 20 minute intermission, and I saw a few younger kids spirited away before the end.
In a world of increasingly elaborate technical theatre, The Lion King stands out because of the raw power of the craft and skill of its staging and its cast. It is theatre magic at its finest.
See our guide here.
The Lion King will play at the Capitol Theatre until August 9.
