From the magical opening scene, when the cast appeared as a herd of animals flowing rhythmically across the African savannah, we were transported to another world.

The story revolves around Simba, the young and eager son of the King of the African Pride Lands. After disaster befalls his father, he goes on a journey to discover how to face the past, and how to move forward and become the new King of the Pride Lands.

Such is the talent and enthusiasm of the Upper Prep pupils that the main roles in this performance were dual cast. The handovers, like the scene changes, were super-smooth. New performers were already hitting their stride before the changeover became apparent.

The ensemble cast lifted the show to another level, working together to create a magical atmosphere in support of every emotion the circle of life produces.  From cartwheels and flips during the joyous moments, villainous aggression through the dark days of Scar’s reign, and graceful movements during reflective scenes, they were tremendous scene-setters.

As anyone familiar with The Lion King will know, there are some fantastic tunes in there. From the upbeat Hakuna Matata and I Just Can’t Wait to be King, to the powerful Circle of Life and the reflective He Lives in You, this talented cast performed every song beautifully. There were some outstanding solo vocal performances, too.

Everyone’s timing – from the complicated ensemble crowd scenes, to the comic timing when delivering witty dialogue – was spot on. We clearly have several comic actors in the making.

The backstage crew were simply magnificent as they facilitated smooth and rapid scene changes to keep the action and emotion flowing.

Huge thanks to the creator of the other stars of the show – the magnificent headpieces. These were conjured up by talented artist and current parent Millie MacNicol. She also created a four-person elephant, a ginormous warthog,  giraffes, two canvasses and pride rock. All were simply stunning.

The show was also helped by fantastically atmospheric lighting by the team at our hosts, Queen Margaret’s School. This was particularly effective during dark days of Scar’s reign, when he was supported by his menacing laughing hyenas.

All in all, it was a captivating performance which flew by. Every cast member gave their all and shone as fine examples of our school values of Confidence, Courage and Growth. There was plenty of Kindness, too, as everyone worked together unselfishly to make this show a success.

The cast and crew fully deserved the rapturous applause from the family and friends who were watching. Special mention, too, to the show’s Director, Mrs Dance and her assistant Mrs Cole.