The Lion King Musical Reviews | What the Critics Say

The Lion King opened at the Lyceum Theatre on 19 October 1999 to some of the strongest reviews a West End musical has ever received, and now, as it heads towards 30 years in London, the reviews still say the same thing: the most spectacular staging in the West End.

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The Critics' Verdict

Opening night in 1999 went about as well as an opening can go. The Times, The Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times, the Evening Standard and The Stage all raved about it; The Guardian was the only paper to hold back, at three stars, loving the look of the show and liking the script a lot less. Current reviews of today's production still land at four stars, for the same reasons on both counts.

What the Reviews Praised

The staging, first and always. The Times called the opening "the most breathtaking opening to a musical I have seen and a promise of marvels to follow", and Charles Spencer in The Daily Telegraph wrote, "For once a mega musical lives up to the hype. This is a dazzling show with the heart of a lion."

The Evening Standard found "a beautiful dazzle of invention and imagination", and the Financial Times summed up the balance: "As blockbuster musicals go, this is one with beauty and brains."

Then there are the songs, and they need no introduction: Circle of Life, Hakuna Matata, Can You Feel the Love Tonight. Elton John and Tim Rice wrote some of the most famous numbers in musical theatre, and on stage they are joined by Lebo M's African choral music, which the critics have loved from day one: The Times praised "the rich texture of Lebo M's untranslated Zulu songs" and called Shadowland "a lovely lament for lost Edens". Heard live, with a full company and choir, this score is half the reason to go.

The modern reviewers agree. Time Out (4/5) says, "For a global blockbuster, The Lion King's absolute theatricality is astonishing", and Theatre and Tonic (4/5) calls the opening "the most beautiful - and emotional - theatrical scene there is."

Where Reviews Were Mixed

The one consistent reservation, from 1999 to now, is the storytelling between the showpieces. The Guardian's Michael Billington (3/5) granted "a child's garden of delights" but found the script suffered from "Disneyfied verbal banality". A bit harsh. Even the rave in The Times noted that when the chat "becomes jokey, banal or sententious, you feel some disjunction between production and book". Time Out's modern review makes the same point more bluntly about the plot.

In practice the split matters less than it reads: the critics who raised it still recommended the show. The staging is what you are buying, and they knew it.

Is The Lion King Right for You?

If you want spectacle, puppetry and songs you know, performed on the West End's grandest scale, the critics have agreed for 26 years that this is the show. It is the classic choice for families and first-time theatregoers, recommended for ages 6 and up, and audience ratings still run better than nine in ten positive.

If you want a story-first evening where the script is the star, the critics' one reservation applies to you, and a play or a book-driven musical will serve you better. Not sure? Call us on 020 7193 9050 and we will talk it through for your group.

Book The Lion King Tickets

The Lion King plays at the Lyceum Theatre, booking to 16 May 2027. Tickets run from around £35 up to around £85 on most dates, with premium seats from around £125, and prices rise with demand, so early booking pays. With us the price you see is the price you pay, all fees included: book The Lion King tickets online, or call us on 020 7193 9050.