Smash-hit musical Lion King set for three-month stay at Edinburgh Playhouse

Disney’s The Lion King is coming to the Edinburgh Playhouse from London’s West End and is already tipped to be a sell-out.

It will be the only Scottish date for the award-winning musical and is being hailed as a giant coup for the Greenside Place venue.

Running from October until next January, it will be one of the longest-running productions seen in the city since a 12-week run of Mamma Mia in 2004.

It follows hot on the heels of hit productions such as Phantom of the Opera and Dirty Dancing at the Playhouse.

Edinburgh Playhouse general manager Gary Roden said: “It will undoubtedly be the hottest theatre ticket in the country during 2013 and the most anticipated Scottish premiere of a musical this century.

“This will be the only opportunity to see the show in Scotland. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience and one we’re sure our audience will love.”

The Lion King is one of only five musicals in theatre history to have played for more than ten years on both Broadway and in the West End. The production has been seen by more than 65 million people in 15 different  countries.

The acclaimed stage adaptation of Disney’s 1994 film of the same name follows the adventures of young lion cub Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king. Simba’s life is thrown into turmoil by the ambitions of his scheming uncle Scar and the death of his father Mufasa.

The stage musical tells the tale through a spectacular mix of puppetry, masks, music and movement.

The latest touring  production boasts a raft of completely new songs by South African composer Lebo M, as well as well-known hits by Elton John and Sir Tim Rice, including the Academy Award-winning single Can You Feel The Love Tonight?

The Lion King has now run for the past 14 years on London’s West End, growing to become the current best-selling production.

The Lion King opens on October 12 and runs until January 18. Tickets costing £25-£75 can be bought from the Playhouse box office from 8am on January 30, three hours before they go on general sale.

Hakuna ma-stat-a

4: The number of years of planning taken to bring The Lion King to the stage.

232 puppets feature in the show.

700 costumes are worn in each performance.

750 pounds of silicone rubber was used to make the masks in the show.

26 different animals are played by the cast.

14 years How long The Lion King has played London’s West End.

10 million tickets sold to the West End version.

£3 billion The Lion King’s gross takings since the first production opened on Broadway.