West End production of The Lion King hold opens auditions

Open auditions for The Lion King will take place in Birmingham, Manchester and London

The award-winning West End production of Disney’s The Lion King will be holding a series of open auditions in Birmingham, Manchester and London.

Currently celebrating 16 successful years at London’s Lyceum Theatre, the show’s casting team is searching for male and female singers with strong soulful or gospel style voices and the ability to dance well to make up the ensemble. Dancers should have a modern dance background and those with any acrobatic skills are especially welcome. Performers of all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds are invited to attend.

Singers should be prepared to sing a contemporary pop or rock song and should provide the sheet music. Backing tracks will not be allowed, a pianist will however be provided. Dancers must be warmed up and ready to dance in jazz shoes or bare feet. Dancers may also be asked to sing and should therefore prepare one rock or pop song that showcases their voice and vocal range.

Attendees must be aged 18 years or older and must be eligible to work in the UK. All auditionees should bring a CV and photograph stapled together and they should be prepared to stay all day.

Auditions for both singers and dancers will be held at Birmingham’s Ace Dance & Music on 31 October and at Manchester’s Dancehouse Theatre on 1 November.

The London auditions, beginning with the call for male and female singers, will take place on 7 November at the Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, Shaftesbury Avenue. The auditions for male and female dancers will take place on 21 November at the Moonshot Centre, New Cross. Morning registration for both auditions will be at 10am although auditionees are advised to arrive early. Afternoon registration will be at 1.30pm.

The multi award-winning musical The Lion King had its UK premiere in London in October 1999. The musical has entertained more than 12 million theatregoers and remains the West End’s best-selling stage production. It also recently became the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time.

Julie Taymor’s internationally-celebrated stage adaptation of Disney’s much-loved animated film premiered on Broadway in 1997 and has now been seen by more than 80 million people across six continents. Nine productions are running concurrently around the globe. In addition to the record-breaking productions in London and New York, it can currently be seen in Hamburg, Tokyo, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City and on tour across North America and Japan.

Angela Thomas

Book Tickets for The Lion King: www.musicaltheatrereview.entstix.com/tickets/the-lion-king