Musical 'The Lion King' celebrates 25 years in London's West End

By Sarah Mills

LONDON (Reuters) - Hit musical "The Lion King" is celebrating its 25th anniversary in London's West End this weekend with a special gala performance on Sunday, after first opening its doors at the Lyceum Theatre on Oct. 19, 1999.

Based on Disney's 1994 animation film, the stage adaptation, which has played in theatres around the world, has been seen in the British capital by over 19 million theatre goers.

"I think that this piece is something that does transcend culture," director and writer Julie Taymor told Reuters, adding that the coming of age story about a lion cub called Simba who endures loss "is something every single human being has to go through."

Taymor was part of the team that created the original stage show, which after opening in the U.S. in 1997 won six Tony Awards including best direction and costume design for Taymor. 

Set visually against the backdrop of the Serengeti plain in Africa, the musical incorporates characters and puppets from around the world and includes five African languages.

"The thing about The Lion King is it appeals to every age group," said actor George Asprey.

"It's not a recreation of the film in any sense. It's a standalone piece of art."

Asprey plays evil Scar, who goes up against his brother and Simba's father - Mufasa, played by Shaun Escoffery. 

Both men have starred in the show for 16 years, an experience Escoffery describes as "wonderful."

"The gratitude just starts to overwhelm you. I work with a wonderful team....and just the production itself is amazing," he said.

Spin-off film "Mufasa: The Lion King" is due to be released in December. The movie is billed as both a prequel and sequel to the original film.

(Sarah Mills; Editing by Sharon Singleton)