The Lion King (West End) — My Review

The Lion King (West End) — My Review

When & Where

• Date: 25 October 2025
• Theatre: Lyceum Theatre, London (about 2,100 seats)
• Seat / Price: Royal Circle (2nd level), Row B, Seat 26 — £96
• My runtime: 2:30pm–5:00pm (the show is ~2h30 incl. interval)

What I compared

I’ve now seen Broadway, Japan, and West End productions. Conditions weren’t identical — my Japanese viewing was years ago, Broadway was a week earlier, seats and acoustics varied, and my ear has adjusted to English over two weeks in the UK — so take these as informed impressions, not lab results.

Good Points

🦓 Puppetry that feels “alive”

In the opening sequence, the zebras struck me first.

• Broadway: a hard-charging sprint across the plains.
• West End: a light, floating canter — honestly beautiful.
• Japan: from memory, precise, correct travelling.
  Likewise, the leopard work in London felt more delicate than New York. The UK’s deep respect for puppetry as actorly craft shows.

🔸 Performers right beside you

In “Circle of Life” and the Act Two opener “One by One”, performers appeared in the auditorium, sometimes close enough to touch — especially near the boxes. I watched a mother and daughter light up at the proximity; that small human moment warmed the whole afternoon.

🎵 Choral blend

Across my six-ish viewings, this is the first time I actively thought, “the chorus is beautiful.”

• Broadway: wild, muscular choral colour.
• Japan: unified and accurate blend.
• West End: a more artful, sculpted sound — less about force, more about line.

🎭 A more “theatre-forward” tone

All three tell the story clearly, but the temperature differs:

• Broadway carries a hint of show even when acting is tight.
• Japan leans toward text made concrete — clean, faithful realisation.
• West End felt most like straight theatre: finely judged silences, close, private speaking when needed, intentional stillness, and confrontations that breathe. It’s not better or worse — just a distinct flavour.

Summary

Different cultures leave different fingerprints on the same score and staging:

• Broadway: energy and individual spark
• Japan: accuracy and cohesion
• West End: theatricality and beauty

The differences are what make seeing the show worldwide so rewarding. My aim is to absorb each strength, then build towards my own ideal of expression.

🔸 My Instagram 🔸
https://www.instagram.com/isokazu_oyama/