Stage version of The Lion King roars into the region

1:19pm Tuesday 7th January 2014 in News

MANE EVENT: Lion King is coming to Sunderland

THE stage version of the hit Disney film The Lion King is to roar into the North-east later this year.

Sunderland Empire is to stage a seven-week run of the award-winning musical starting on September 18 as part of the show’s national tour.

The West End show, based on the tear-jerking 1994 children’s movie, has been running in London’s Lyceum Theatre for 15 years.

The touring production has already played to sell-out audiences in Bristol, Manchester, Dublin and Birmingham and is currently enjoying similar success of Edinburgh.

Disney UK says the production will be the biggest musical production ever to tour the UK, with more than 700 elaborate costumes representing 26 different types of animal transported around the country in 23 giant trucks.

Fiona Thomas, Vice President of Live Entertainment for The Walt Disney Company, said “We are thrilled to be bringing Disney’s The Lion King to the magnificent Sunderland Empire.

“We continue to be delighted by how much audiences enjoy The Lion King in London and we look forward to sharing Julie Taymor’s legendary production with audiences in Sunderland.”

Tickets for the Sunderland shows, priced from £22.50, go on sale on Tuesday, January 21 at 10am and are available on 0844 871 3022, www.thelionking.co.uk or in person from the Empire box office.

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