Cast & Creative
Julie Taymor
Director, Costume Design, Mask/Puppet Co-Design, Additional Lyrics
Julie won the 1998 Tony® Award for Best Direction of a Musical and for Best Costumes for The Lion King. In 2008, the musical won three Molière Awards including Best Musical and Best Costumes. It also garnered Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League awards for Taymor’s direction, and myriad awards for her original costume, mask and puppet designs. Taymor made her Broadway debut in 1996 with Juan Darién: A Carnival Mask (Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater), nominated for five Tony® Awards. Other theatre work includes The Green Bird (New Victory Theater, La Jolla Playhouse and the Cort Theater on Broadway); Titus Andronicus, The Tempest and The Taming of the Shrew (Theatre for a New Audience); Juan Darién (Music-Theatre Group); co-adapter and director of The Transposed Heads (Lincoln Center and American Music Theatre Festival) and Liberty’s Taken (Castle Hill Festival). For her latest Broadway production, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, Taymor served as director and co-book writer. Her recent opera productions include an original opera, Grendel, composed by Elliot Goldenthal (Los Angeles Opera and the Lincoln Center Festival, 2006), which was a finalist for the Pulitzer. Her direction of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 2004 and is now in repertoire there. Taymor’s film Across the Universe received a Golden Globe® nomination for Best Musical/Comedy in 2008. Her first film, “Fool’s Fire,” an adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe short story, aired on PBS in 1992. She directed her first feature, Titus, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange, in 1999. Frida, starring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina, received five Academy Award® nominations and two Oscars® in 2002. Taymor’s latest film is The Tempest, starring Helen Mirren, Djimon Hounsou, Russell Brand and Ben Whishaw. Taymor has received a MacArthur “genius” grant, a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Obie Awards and the first annual Dorothy B. Chandler Award in Theater among many others. A book spanning her career, Julie Taymor: Playing With Fire, is in its third edition from Abrams.
Elton John
Music
The monumental career of international singer/songwriter and performer Elton John has spanned more than three decades. He is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time, with 35 gold and 25 platinum albums and more than 250 million records sold worldwide. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has awarded Elton multiple GRAMMYS®, including the GRAMMY® Legend Award. In the early 1990s, Elton collaborated with lyricist Tim Rice on the soundtrack for The Lion King, winning him an Academy Award®. The album produced two top-selling, award-winning singles: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.” The Tony® Award-winning Broadway productions of The Lion King and Aida both awarded Elton with GRAMMYS® for Best Musical Show Album. Billy Elliot was nominated for a record-tying 15 Tony® Awards and won ten, including Best Musical. Elton was also one of the producers for Next Fall on Broadway. The Union is his latest CD with Leon Russell, produced by T Bone Burnett. In 1992, Elton established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which today is one of the leading nonprofit HIV/AIDS organizations. In 1998, the Queen of England knighted him Sir Elton John, CBE. In 2004, Elton received the Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime contributions to American culture and excellence through the performing arts.
Tim Rice
Lyrics
Tim (That’s Sir Tim to you) has been writing lyrics for musical theatre and related enterprises for more than 40 years, something he only intended to do for a few months while waiting to become a pop star. The waiting has been extended, mainly because of the world’s failure to accept him as a rock god, but also because of the distracting success of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita with Andrew Lloyd Webber; Aladdin, King David and Beauty and the Beast with Alan Menken; Chess with Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson; and The Lion King and Aida with Elton John. He is well known in England, his home country, for his love of cricket and as a tolerable radio and television personality. He has won numerous awards along the way, including Oscars®, Tonys® and Boy Scout badges, but often for the wrong thing and often for simply turning up. He is currently working on a musical play about Machiavelli; is producer and co-lyricist on a new show with a score by Stuart Brayson, based on James Jones’ great novel From Here to Eternity; and is plugging the DVD and album of Chess in Concert starring Josh Groban, Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal. He has just completed the lyrics for all the songs for the forthcoming animated movie Jock of the Bushveld. More gripping info can be found on www.timrice.co.uk but please don’t feel obliged to go there.
Lebo M
Additional Music & Lyrics, Additional Vocal Score, Vocal Arrangements, Choral Director
Lebo M is known as the “voice and spirit of The Lion King.” Once a teenage singer in Soweto, the Grammy® Award winner and Tony® nominee’s music brings audiences to tears with hauntingly inspiring African rhythms and melodies. Lebo’s talents have been hailed by the worldwide press in superlatives that might describe the most delightfully poetic of musical deities. Since his arrival in America, Lebo has attracted music industry giants such as Quincy Jones, Jimmy Cliff and Hans Zimmer as mentors, allies and collaborators. Lebo has performed and produced four albums, Rhythm of the Pride Lands (Disney), Deeper Meaning(Gallo) and The Lion King (Japanese and Hamburg cast recordings). Other credits include The Power of One, Back on the Block and Listen Up with Quincy Jones; the feature films Outbreak (Warner Bros.), Congo (Warner Bros.) and Born to Be Wild (Paramount); and the Disney television special “People.” He has performed on the Academy Awards® and the Essence Awards Show, with Vanessa Redgrave at Kthimi-The Return in Kosovo, and been honored by Artists for a Free South Africa.
Mark Mancina
Additional music & lyrics, Music produced for the stage, Additional Score
A multi-platinum Tony® nominee and multi-platinum GRAMMY® Award-winning composer, Mark Mancina was an obvious choice to compose, produce and adapt additional music for The Lion King stage production, as he arranged and produced songs for the blockbuster animated feature film, for which he received both GRAMMY® and American Music awards in 1994. The film also spawned the hit album Rhythm of the Pride Lands, for which Mr. Mancina co-wrote, arranged and produced three tracks, including “He Lives in You” and “Shadowland,” which are featured in the stage production. Ranked among the upper echelons of film composers, his credits include megahits Training Day, Speed, Twister, Bad Boys and Tarzan, among many others; the period epic Moll Flanders, which was on Billboard’s Crossover Chart; and most recently, Brother Bear and The Haunted Mansion.
Irene Mecchi
Book
Irene began her association with Disney in March 1992, when she wrote Recycle Rex, an animated short, which won the 1994 Environmental Media Award. Irene is a co-writer of Disney’s animated features The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules. Along with co-author Roger Allers, she received a 1998 Tony® nomination for writing the book for The Lion King. Irene also wrote the teleplay for “Annie,” directed by Rob Marshall. She shares a writing credit on Disney Pixar’s Brave and is currently adapting the Warners’ 1954 film A Star Is Born as a stage musical, as well as developing a project with Lucasfilm.
Roger Allers
Book
Roger makes his Broadway debut with co-author Irene Mecchi, with this Tony®-nominated book, adapted from the animated feature, which he co-directed. Mr. Allers has been instrumental in shaping the structure and dialogue for many Disney animated features since 1988, including Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Oliver and Company, Rescuers Down Under, Prince & the Pauper and the computer-animated movie, Tron. He directed the Academy Award nominated short The Little Matchgirl for Disney and co-directed the 2006 animated feature Open Season for Sony Studios. Prior to working with Disney, he created animation on children’s programs and features for studios in Boston, Toronto and Tokyo. He is currently writing and directing an animated adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet.
Garth Fagan
Choregrapher
Garth Fagan is the recipient of the 1998 Tony® Award for Best Choreography and the 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer (London, UK) as well as the Drama Desk Award, the Astaire Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for his work with The Lion King. Mr. Fagan was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and for more than 33 years has toured the world with Garth Fagan Dance. On television the company has appeared on “Great Performances,” “The Tonight Show” and the Academy Awards®. Mr. Fagan forged his own dance language and technique, drawing from modern dance, Afro-Caribbean and ballet, and has choreographed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Jose Limon Company, the New York City Ballet’s 50th Anniversary, and others. In addition, he choreographed Joseph Papp’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Duke Ellington street opera, Queenie Pie at the Kennedy Center. A distinguished university professor at SUNY Brockport, he has received numerous awards and fellowships, including the 2001 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award, a Bessie Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Fulbright 50th Anniversary Distinguished Fellow. He has also been inducted into the American Academy of Achievement.
Richard Hudson
Scenic Design
Richard Hudson was born in Zimbabwe and educated in Zimbabwe and England. In 1988 he won a Laurence Olivier Award for designing a season of seven plays at the Old Vic Theatre, London. His set designs for The Lion King have won numerous awards, including a Tony® in 1998. He is a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI). In 2003 he won the Gold Medal for Set Design at the Prague Quadriennale, and in 2005 he was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Surrey. He has designed sets and costumes for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Young Vic and the Gate, London. In opera he has worked at the Royal Opera, English National Opera, La Scala Milan, Metropolitan Opera New York, Opera National de Paris, Lyric Opera Chicago, Staatsoper Vienna, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and in Zurich, Munich, Amsterdam, Venice, Florence, Turin, Bregenz, Houston and Washington.
Donald Holder
Lighting Design
Donald received 1998 Tony®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for The Lion King (Broadway) and the Moliere Award for The Lion King (Paris). Broadway: Golden Boy, Annie, Spiderman-Turn Off the Dark, South Pacific (2008 Tony® Award), Ragtime, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, A Streetcar Named Desire, Gem of the Ocean, Movin’ Out, Juan Darien (all Tony® nominated); Promises, Promises; Arcadia; Come Fly Away; Cyrano de Bergerac; The Little Dog Laughed; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Prelude to a Kiss; The Boy From Oz, many others. Off-Broadway: Blood and Gifts, Happiness, Observe the Sons of Ulster… (Lortel Award), A Man of No Importance, Birdie Blue, Jitney, Saturday Night, Three Days of Rain, Jeffrey, Spunk, many others. Television: “Smash” seasons one and two, NBC/DreamWorks.
Michael Curry
Mask and Puppet Co-Designer
Michael works widely as a visual and concept designer for numerous companies such as Cirque du Soleil, the Metropolitan Opera, London’s Royal National Theatre, Disney Theatrical Productions and Universal Pictures. He collaborates regularly with directors such as Robert Lepage, Nicholas Hytner, Julie Taymor and William Friedken. Mr. Curry has received many prestigious awards including several awards for his work on Broadway, Olympic ceremonies and his continued innovations in the fields of visual effects and puppetry design. His design and production studios are located in Scappoose, Oregon. Current projects include scenic design for The Makropulos Case conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta for the Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence, Italy, which premiered on October 11, 2011, and Tales of Hoffman at the Theater an der Wein in Vienna, Austria, that premiered on March 19, 2012.
Michael Ward
Hair and Makeup Design
Michael Ward designs for opera and theatre. For Disney: The Lion King (Broadway and others) and Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (Berlin). Other work has been seen in Britain, the United States, Holland, France, Japan, Israel and Portugal. Along with his design work in theatre, he works as a garden and landscape designer.
Steve Canyon Kennedy
Sound Design
Steve Canyon Kennedy was the production engineer on such Broadway shows as Cats, Starlight Express, Song & Dance, The Phantom of the Opera, Carrie and Aspects of Love.
His Broadway sound design credits include Catch Me If You Can, (Tony Nomination) Guys and Dolls, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Jersey Boys (Drama Desk Award), Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, Hairspray, The Producers, Aida, Titanic, Big, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Carousel and The Who’s Tommy (Drama Desk Award).
John Stefaniuk
Associate Director
A native of Toronto, Canada, John studied theatre at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Upon leaving school, John worked as an actor and voice over artist in both Canada and the U.K. He can be heard in many cartoons and commercials as well as being heard as the voice of the Cartoon Network. He has taught, directed and guest lectured for many theatre schools and colleges in Toronto, New York, and London including the Royal Academy of Music, Sylvia Young Theatre School, and Duke University. For three years John was the Artistic Director for Stagedoor Manor in New York directing many productions including Side Show, Sweeney Todd and A Midsummer Night’s Dream starring Natalie Portman and Bryce Howard. John has worked as Resident Director for Cameron Macintosh and JAR Productions on Hey Mr. Producer! and for Disney’s The Lion King at London’s Lyceum Theatre as well as the American National Tour. John is thrilled to be continuing his work with this incredible company.
Marey Griffith
Associate Choreographer
A native New Yorker, Miss Griffith toured worldwide with the acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a featured dancer/soloist for 8 years. She is most known for her performances in the works of the late, world renowned choreographer Ulysses Dove. Other guest appearances include Déjà vu Dance Theatre, and the Spoleto festival in Italy. She worked as co-choreographer on the star studded production of The Wizard of Oz in concert at Avery Fisher Hall with Nathan Lane, Joel Grey, Jewel and Natalie Cole. Miss Griffith has appeared in numerous commercials and voice-overs. Her soap opera credits include As the World Turns and Another World. She has also performed with Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster, PA. Miss Griffith joined the creative team of The Lion King in August of 2000. She feels privileged to work with choreographer Garth Fagan.
Clement Ishmael
Musical Supervisor
Clement is a conductor, composer and arranger. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Royal Conservatory of Music, where he specialised in composition and conducting as well as singing with Joyce Britten. Conducting credits include Abbey Players Opera Company, Ad Astra Chorus, Addison Jazz Ensemble and West London Gospel Choir. He also conducted the new ballet Awakening at Sadlers Wells. West End credits include: Five Guys Named Moe, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Smokey Joe’s Café, and Soul Train. He has also directed and arranged the music for numerous shows which include: Sweet Lorraine, Up Against the Wall, The Amen Corner, The Grape Vine, The Cavalcaders and most recently Gem of the Ocean at the Tricycle Theatre. His classical compositions and arrangements have been performed worldwide as well as being broadcast by BBC Television and Radio. His opera Grazyna was performed at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio and his most recent commission, for the London Piano Trio was performed at Cadogan Hall in 2008.
Hans Zimmer
Additional Music and Lyrics
Hans Zimmer received the Oscar®, Golden Globe® and two Grammy® awards for his original film score for the film version of The Lion King. He started his film scoring career with My Beautiful Laundrette in 1985, and his other credits include six Oscar-nominated film scores, among them Gladiator, The Thin Red Line, As Good as It Gets and Rain Man. Additional credits include the Grammy-winning score for Crimson Tide, Driving Miss Daisy, Thelma and Louise, Black Hawk Down and The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise. Mr. Zimmer also heads the film music division for DreamWorks SKG studios.
Chris Montan
Executive Music Producer
Chris Montan joined Disney in 1984 and is currently president of Walt Disney Music. Under his guidance as head of music, soundtracks from nine theatrical releases (Cocktail, Beaches, The Little Mermaid, Pretty Woman, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas and Tarzan) were certified multi-platinum. Additionally, the studio received numerous GRAMMY® and Golden Globe honors along with thirteen Academy Awards® for its music entries. Most recently he served as executive producer of the Wonderful World of Disney’s production of Annie, as well as producer with the television production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, which was nominated for seven Emmy® Awards.
Jay Rifkin
Additional Music and Lyrics
The Grammy Award®-winning producer, together with producing and composing partner Hans Zimmer, created Media Ventures, a multifaceted entertainment group that includes music, new media, film and television. Their partnership has earned them numerous awards and nominations, including Academy Award® nominations, for the film scores of Driving Miss Daisy, Rain Man and The Lion King. Following the success of The Lion King, Jay conceived and produced the gold-selling follow-up album Rhythm of the Pride Lands. He is also chairman of Media Revolution and a founder of the film production company Media Ventures Pictures
Robert Elhai
Associate Producer and Orchestrator
Tony® and Drama Desk nominee Robert Elhai has orchestrated many concert, theatre and film scores for composers Elliot Goldenthal (Juan Darien, Final Fantasy) and Michael Kamen (Don Juan de Marco, X-Men), among others. His arrangements for Metallica’s GRAMMY® Award-winning “S&M” made good use of his doctorate in composition from Yale University.
David Metzger
Orchestrator
David Metzger has orchestrated many films, including the Disney animated film Tarzan, Training Day, Domestic Disturbance, Bait and Return to Paradise. His television work includes composing episodes of “The Magnificent Seven” and Disney’s “The Legend of Tarzan” and five years as an arranger/composer for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” David was nominated for Tony® and Drama Desk awards for The Lion King.
Bruce Fowler
Orchestrator
Bruce Fowler is an accomplished trombonist who has played with such notables as Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Frank Zappa, Toshiko Akiyoshi and Don Van Vliet. He performs with his family’s band, The Fowler Brothers (there are five Fowlers); his own band, The Enormous Bones; and Banned from Utopia. Bruce was the supervising orchestrator for Pearl Harbor (he also composed the big band numbers), Shrek, As Good as It Gets, Black Hawk Down and Hans Zimmer’s Academy Award®-winning The Lion King movie score
Pippa Ailion
Casting
Pippa has cast over 120 productions internationally. She was Resident Associate Director casting three seasons of European classics for Jonathan Miller at the Old Vic between 1987 and 1991.
Current Theatre includes: Top Hat (UK tour); Fela! (US tour, Sadler’s Wells and Europe); Million Dollar Quartet; Wicked; Legally Blonde; Billy Elliot; The Lion King; We Will Rock You (Dominion and UK tour); The Go Between (WYP, Derby, Northampton); Sweeney Todd (Chichester 2011); Decade (Headlong); Rocky Horror Show (Germany 2011); Britannicus (Wilton’s Music Hall); Waiting For Godot (WYP); Ragtime; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regents Park);
West End/London includes: The Wiz (Birmingham/WYP); Lord of the Flies (Regent’s Park 2011); Love Story (Duchess & Chichester 2010); Fela! (NT); Dick Whittington & his Cat (Lyric, Hammersmith); Departure Lounge; Into the Woods (Regent’s Park); Five Guys Named Moe (Stratford East); All the Fun of the Fair; Spring Awakening; Peter Pan (O2 & USA tour); The Importance of Being Earnest; The Fairy Queen (New York Glyndebourne 2009); Marguerite; Chess in Concert; The Drowsy Chaperone; Porgy and Bess; Generations; The Enchanted Pig; Simply Heavenly (Young Vic); Acorn Antiques; The Postman Always Rings Twice; Blue Man Group; Follow My Leader (Hampstead); Tonight’s the Night; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; Japes; Wit; Rent; The Magistrate; Hair; Annie Get Your Gun.
UK tours: Quadrophenia; Riverdance; Jerry Springer; Acorn Antiques; The Gingerbread Lady; Tonight’s the Night; Slamdunk; Strangers On A Train.
Mark Brandon
Casting
Mark Brandon, with Jay Binder, CSA and Jack Bowdan, CSA, has cast more than 70 Broadway shows including Born Yesterday, The Miracle Worker, Finian’s Rainbow, Brighton Beach Memoirs, A Chorus Line, Gypsy, The 39 Steps, White Christmas, Is He Dead?, Inherit the Wind, Journey’s End, Butley, Virginia Woolf, Sweet Charity, Wonderful Town, Movin’ Out, 42nd Street, The Music Man, The Iceman Cometh, …Charlie Brown, The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Chicago, The King and I, Damn Yankees, Lost in Yonkers, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, The Goodbye Girl and every City Center Encores! production since its inception in 1994. Film: Hairspray, Dreamgirls, Chicago, Nine. Eight–time Artios Award winner.
Disney Theatrical Productions
Producer
DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, was formed in 1994 and operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher. Worldwide, its eight Broadway titles have been seen by over 124 million theatergoers, grossed over $8.9 billion and have cumulatively run a staggering 195 years. With 15 productions currently produced or licensed, a Disney musical is being performed professionally somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day.
The company’s inaugural production, Beauty and the Beast, opened in 1994. It played a remarkable 13 year run on Broadway and has been produced in 28 countries worldwide. In November 1997, Disney opened The Lion King, which received six 1998 Tony® Awards including Best Musical and recently became the highest grossing show in Broadway history. The show continues in its 16th smash year on Broadway and has welcomed over 68 million visitors worldwide. In addition to the London and UK touring productions, The Lion King can also currently be seen on tour across North America and Japan, and in New York, Hamburg, Tokyo, Madrid and Sao Paulo.
Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida opened on Broadway next, winning four 2000 Tony® Awards, and spawning productions around the world. Mary Poppins, a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh, opened in London in 2004 and has established itself as one of the biggest stage musical successes to emerge in recent years. The Tony Award®-winning Broadway production played for more than six years at Disney’s New Amsterdam Theatre and can now be seen on tour across North America and in Mexico City.
Tarzan®, which opened on Broadway in 2006, is now an international hit with an award-winning production in its 6th year in Germany. In January 2008, The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway and was the #1-selling new musical of that year. Its success continues with three new productions around the world: Holland, Russia and Japan.
Two new critically acclaimed productions opened on Broadway in 2012, receiving seven Tony® Awards between them: Newsies, now in its second year at the Nederlander Theatre, and Peter and the Starcatcher, now playing at New World Stages.
Other successful stage musical ventures have included King David in concert, the national tour of On The Record, several touring versions of Disney’s High School Musical, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame in Berlin.
In addition, DTP licenses stage performance rights to more than a dozen Disney musicals around the world through Music Theatre International.
Its new musical, Aladdin, will open in Toronto in Autumn 2013.
For more information click here.
George Asprey
Scar
Place of birth: London
Training: L.A.M.D.A
Theatre: Chicago (UK Tour); They’re Playing our Song and Private Lives (English Theatre, Frankfurt); A View From The Bridge (Leicester Haymarket); The Good Companions (Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich); Dick Barton (The Warehouse, Croydon); Pride and Prejudice (The Good Company); The Sound of Music (Sadlers’ Wells and UK Tour); Scrooge and Guys and Dolls (Birmingham Rep Theatre)
Television: New Tricks; Waking The Dead; The Bill; Gil Mayo; Molly; Riot at Rite; A Life In Pictures; The Dying Of The Light; Holby City; Trial And Retribution II and III; Secrets And Lines; Nancherrow; Supply And Demand II; Coming Home; An Independent Man; The Peter Principle; A Breed Of Heroes; Psychoville
Film: The Greatest Game Ever Played; AKA; Something Borrowed; Dead In The Water; Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Shaun Escoffery
Mufasa
Place of Birth: East London
Training: Barking College of Performing Arts
Theatre: Parade (Donmar Warehouse – 2008 Olivier Award and Whatsonstage Award nominations for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical); Les Misérables (Queen’s), Mama, I Want to Sing!(Cambridge); The Who’s Tommy (Shaftesbury); Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Prince of Wales).
Concerts: Shaun has performed all over the world and supported major artists such as
Beverley Knight, Angie Stone, Mica Paris and Erykah Badu. He has also had the pleasure of singing the National Anthem for Lennox Lewis who was defending his heavyweight title against Mike Tyson.
Other: Shaun signed major recording contracts with Sony Music and EMI Music and produced three critically acclaimed albums, entitled Shaun Escoffery, Soulonica and Back to Soul, which had worldwide releases.
Brown Lindiwe Mkhize
Rafiki
Place of birth: Durban, South Africa
Training: MBongem Ngemas Academy
Theatre: The Lion King (original Amsterdam company); The Zulu, Maria Maria, Stimela Sasezola (South African/German tours); Simuka Nandwendwe (Playhouse, Durban); JRKA (Bloemfontein Theatre)
Television: Sing Africa Dance; Gospel Gold; Selimathunzi; Felicia Mabuza
Radio: Various projects for Radio FM; Radio Xhosa; Khaya FM
Video: Maria Maria; The Zulu; Stimela Saspzolg
Other: Soloist with Ringo Madlingo’s Jonas Gwanga; opening soloist for Cricket World Cup (2003); FNB Vital Award Nominee (2000). The Lion King marks Brown’s West End debut.
Ashley Artus
Zazu
Place of Birth: Newcastle, England
Training: Derwentside College
Theatre: Les Misérables (25th anniversary tour); Oliver! (tour); Skellig (Young Vic Theatre); The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Northcott Theatre, Exeter); The Pirates of Penzance (Stoke); The Mikado (Stoke); A Taste of Honey (Watford Palace); Romeo and Juliet (Lyric Hammersmith); The Conquests of the South Pole and Gypsy (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Cabaret (Bolton Octagon)
Television: Screen One – Wide-Eyed and Legless, Last Tango (Granada); Henry IV, Midsomer Murders, Tales From the Crypt (HBO); A Merchant of Venice, A Touch of Frost, Flytopia (Channel 4); Casualty, Vexed, God on Trial, The Bill, Holby City, In Deep, Number Time, Harry, The Queen’s Nose, and Bodger and Badger (all BBC)
Film: Les Misérables, Attack of the Gryphon, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Ten Commandments, Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang), Lighthouse Hill, The Birth, The People’s Cabbage, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Topsy-Turvy, The Wisdom of Crocodiles and Judge Dredd.
Richard Frame
Timon
Place of Birth: Shrewsbury, England
Training: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Theatre: Blue Remembered Hills (Chichester Festival Theatre); The Comedy of Errors, Richard III, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Merchant of Venice (Propeller); London Assurance (National Theatre); I Love You Because (Landor Theatre); Absolute Beginners (Lyric Hammersmith); Me and My Girl (UK tour); Promises Promises (Sheffield Crucible); The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Our House (Cambridge Theatre); The Beggar’s Opera, A Chorus of Disapproval and Sea Life (Bristol Old Vic); Love’s Labour’s Lost, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Where’s Charley? (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)
Television: The Hollow Crown, Holby City, MI High, Kingdom, Family Affairs, Wire in the Blood, Hearts and Bones, The Bill, and Hope and Glory
Keith Bookman
Pumbaa
Place of Birth: Salford, West Yorkshire
Training: Central School of Speech and Drama
Theatre: Tonights The Night, The Beautiful Game (both West End); Les Misérables (West End and National Tour); Don Quixote; The Man Who Planted Trees (National Tours); An Irishman’s Idea of Heaven (Old Red Lion)
Television: Taking Issue; Billy’s Story (BBC Schools); Harry; EI CID; Eldorado; Near Misses; The Bill; Casualty; Eastenders; Coronation Street
Film: Letters from the East; The Ogre
Other: Has worked extensively in Spanish TV, film and theatre.
Jonathan Andrew Hume
Simba
Place of Birth: Oxford, England
Training: Boden Studios, London
Theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar, Wyllyotts Theatre; The Lion King, Lyceum Theatre, London; The Lion King, Singapore.
Television: Behind Pride Rock: A Documentary, MediaCorp Singapore; Living the Dream, Dream Chute Productions; Casualty, BBC; EastEnders, BBC; Down To Earth, BBC; Hope and Glory, BBC; Grange Hill, BBC; Sort It, BBC; Anything’s Possible, Channel 5
Film: Bluff, LFA; Filthy Habit, LFA; 2058, Smirking Jack Productions; Decorating, New Slate Productions; Session singer for the motion pictures 10,000 BC, Warner Bros.; Amazing Grace, Momentum Pictures and Pride, Lionsgate
Other: Extensive voiceover work for various projects in the US and UK. Performed as ‘Simba’ for The Lion King at the 2009 Laurence Olivier Awards.
Nokubonga Khuzwayo
Nala
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Theatre: The Lion King (South Africa, Las Vegas, US tour and Hamburg); Umoja (South Africa) and Madiba Magic
Sarah Amankwah
Shenzi
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Manchester School of Theatre
Theatre: De Gabay (National Theatre of Wales); Tiata Tamba Tamba (Tiata Fahodzi); Shakespeare 365 (Orange Tree Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Aquila Theatre and US tour); Six Characters in Search of an Author (Aquila Theatre and US tour); Fair Trade (Rich Mix and Edinburgh); Sacrifice (Tara Arts and the Almeida Theatre); Spring Shakespeare (Orange Tree Theatre tour); The Early Years (Fuse Theatre Company); With Fumes of Human Roast (Hampstead Theatre); Rumpelstiltskin and Alice Through The Looking Glass (C venues, Edinburgh); 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic Theatre); Death and the King’s Horseman (National Theatre)
Television: The Damnation of Darwin (HBO)
Film: World War Z (Paramount)
The Lion King marks Sarah’s West End debut.
Taofique Folarin
Banzai
Place of Birth: West Midlands, England
Training: National Diploma in Musical Theatre from the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts; BA in Theatre Practice from the University of Middlesex
Theatre: The Lion King (Hamburg); Fame – the Musical (tours of Ireland, the UK and Holland); Diary of a Chav (Tristan Bates Theatre); Avenue Q (Gielgud and Noël Coward); Five Guys Named Moe (English Theatre, Frankfurt); The Taming of the Shrew (tour); The Cripple of Inishmaan (the Landor Theatre); Rent (Avondale Theatre); Such Sweet Thunder (Theatre Royal Newcastle) and Generator 1 (the Fringe)
Television: Life Begins (BBC)
Mark McGee
Ed
Place of Birth: Birmingham, England
Training: Birmingham Conservatoire for The Voice
Television: Mollie (BBC) and Casualty (BBC)
Theatre: Jekyll & Hyde (national tour); Much Ado About Nothing (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Shout! (national tour); The Black & White Ball (King’s Head Theatre); Desperately Seeking Susan (Novello Theatre); Babes in Arms (Chichester Festival Theatre); Alice in Wonderland (Birmingham Repertory Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Bat (New Vic Theatre, Stoke); Debbie Does Dallas (Old Fire Station, Oxford); Return to the Forbidden Planet (Theatre Royal Lincoln); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Shaftesbury Theatre); Three Sides (New York Musical Theatre Festival); West Side Story (Leicester Haymarket Theatre); Taboo (the Venue); Starlight Express (Apollo Victoria Theatre); Whistle Down the Wind (Aldwych Theatre); Saturday Night Fever (London Palladium and Scandinavian tour); Les Misérables (national tour); Summer Holiday (Hammersmith Apollo and national tour) and Mark and Mabel (Piccadilly Theatre)
Nana Agyemang-Bediako
Young Simba
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Bonnie and Betty Agency
Television: Top Boy and The Ministry of Curious Stuff
Film: Hummingbird
The Lion King marks Nana’s West End debut.
Kimani Arthur
Young Nala
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: the Sylvia Young Theatre School
Theatre: The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium); Legends (Kenneth More Theatre) and Fame (Bloomsbury Theatre)
Television: Little Crackers (Sky1)
Film: Something You Like About Summer (Tomboy Films)
Jhayheim Nelson
Young Simba
Place of Birth: Croydon, England
Training: Helen O‘Grady Theatre School
The Lion King marks Jhayheim’s West End debut
Denzel Eboji
Young Simba
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: the Academy Performing Arts School
Theatre: Go the Distance and Raise Your Voice (the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch)
The Lion King marks Denzel’s West End debut.
Zipporah Fornah
Young Nala
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Deborah Day Theatre School Trust
The Lion King marks Zipporah’s West End debut.
D’Jon McTernan
Young Simba
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Step Up Music Theatre School
Television: Sports Relief Does Glee Club (BBC)
The Lion King marks D’Jon’s West End debut.
Taanashe Mwatsiya
Young Nala
lace of Birth: Hillingdon
Training: Stagecoach
Theatre: Coming Home (Arcola Theatre)
Other: The Lion King marks Taanashe’s West End debut
Miriam Nyarko
Young Nala
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Stagecoach, Rough Magicke Theatre Company and Interlude Dance Troupe
Film: Racism
The Lion King marks Miriam’s West End debut.
Tiago Sequeira Alves
Swing
Place of Birth: Brazil
Training: Cambridge Performing Arts; Studio De Dancas Garcia Sao Paolo, Brazil; Centro De Artes Pavarine, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Television: Dancer for Take That, Royal Variety Show 2010 (ITV); Show Choir (ITV);
Video: The Flood (Katie Melua)
Other: Royal Caribbean Cruises; Adriana Locilento and Lyon Melo. The Lion King marks Tiago’s West End debut.
Lauren Alexandra
Ensemble
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Arts Educational Schools London
Theatre: A Dream Across the Ocean (Fairfield Halls); Ragtime (Landor Theatre) and The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre)
Television: Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards (2011); The Olivier Awards (2011) and Broadway to West End (2010)
Film: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Daniel Bailey
Ensemble
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: The Urdang Academy
Theatre: South Pacific (UK tour); Flahooley (Lilian Baylis Theatre); Blues Brothers (Erasmus Theatre) and Hair (Bronowski Productions)
The Lion King marks Daniel’s West End debut.
Hugo Batista
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Recife, Brazil
Training: Centre of Dance, São Paulo, Brazil and Studio De Danca, Brazil
Theatre: High School Musical (UK tour); Grease (UK tour); The Explosive Eighties (UK tour); Show Viva (Brazil, Germany); Akuarela Dance Spectacular (Brazil)
Other: P&O’s Pride of Bilbao (LBGP). The Lion King marks Hugo’s West End debut.
David Blake
Ensemble
Place of Birth: St Andrew, Jamaica
Training: Cathy Levy Performing Arts Academy, National Dance Theatre of Jamaica
Theatre: Nutcracker (California); Jesus 2000 (USA Tour
Television: Los Angeles Holiday Concert (PBS); Live at the Ford (KCET); Royal Palm Estate (CVM)
Film: Ascension Day; Dreamgirls
Other: Principal dancer with the National Dance Theatre of Jamaica with tours to USA, Canada, Caribbean and UK. Performed for various dance companies in California and has performed choreography by Donald McKayle, Clive Thompson, Ron Brown, Arsenio Andrade and Rex Nettleford. Taught and choreographed for colleges, universities and professional schools in the Caribbean and USA. David holds a BA in Marketing from the California State University. Professional Dance Teaching Licentiate from IDTA. The Lion King marks David’s West End debut.
Yolanda Burke
Ensemble
Place of Birth: London
Training: Laine Theatre Arts
Theatre: The Lion King (Germany); West End Laine (Aldwych Theatre)
Other: Olympic Torch Ceremony (BBC 1). Yolanda makes a welcome return to The Lion King, having been part of the 2008 London company.
Jorge Cipriano
Swing
Place of Birth: Salvador, Brazil
Training: Balé Folclórico da Bahia
Theatre: 20th Birthday of the Balé Folclórico da Bahia, Festival de Lençóis, Verona Festival Balé Folclórico da Bahia and The Lion King (Hamburg)
The Lion King marks Jorge’s West End debut.
Treyc Cohen
Swing
Place of Birth: Tamworth, England
Theatre: The Wiz (Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, and West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Hairspray (Aberystwyth Arts Centre)
Television: Treyc has been a contestant on The X Factor (ITV) and My Kind of Music
Other: Treyc has performed as a vocalist on tours of Monday Session and Desire.
The Lion King marks Treyc’s West End debut.
Azola Dlamini
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Training: Mbongeni Ngema’s Academy
Theatre: The Lion King (original Amsterdam Company); The Zulu; Simuka Nandklankle; Joyous Celebration 7 and 8 (all South Africa)
Television: Performance Gospel Gold; Glory Hallalluya; Take 5; Felicia Mabuza Suttle Shok
Video: Smuka Nandwendwe; Mr Bones
Other: Performed at Umlazi Stadium with Mbongeni Ngema; backing vocalist for Jabu Hlongklane, Vuyo Mokoena, Suq Angel, Sharon Dee and Musa Njoko. The Lion King marks Azola’s West End debut.
Callum Francis
Swing
Place of Birth: Manchester, England
Training: Laine Theatre Arts
Theatre: Ghost (Piccadilly Theatre); Hair (European tour); Ultimate Broadway (Shanghai Culture Square Theatre); Naked Boys Singing (Charing Cross Theatre) and Fame (Manchester Opera House)
Joanna Francis
Swing
Place of Birth: Jamaica
Training: American Musical and Dramatic Academy, New York
Theatre: The Harder They Come (Theatre Royal Stratford East, Barbican, Playhouse Theatre and US Tour); Carmen Jones (Royal Festival Hall); The Big Life (Apollo); Purlie (Bridewell Theatre – nominated for the 2005 Whatsonstage Award for Best Actress in a Musical); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Ohio, USA); Jesus Christ Superstar (Scandinavian Tour); The Company Dance Theatre (Jamaica)
Radio: The Big Life (BBC Recording)
Darcel Frederick
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Kingstown, Saint Vincent
Training: York University, Toronto, Canada; Ailey School Summer Intensive, New York, USA; Jacob’s Pillow School, Massachusetts, USA
Film: Baiana (Bravo Facts, Short Film)
Other: Ballet Creole Dance Company (Toronto); Kashedance Dance Company (Toronto). The Lion King marks Darcel’s West End debut.
Enyonam Gbesemete
Ensemble
Place of birth: Ghana
Theatre: The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello); Smokey Joes Cafe (Original UK Tour); Rent (Olympia Theatre, Dublin); Innercity Jam (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Dancing and Singing The Blues (European Tour); Passports To The Promised Land (UK Tour); Show Boat (Royal Albert Hall); Rainbow Uprising (Shaw Theatre, London); Mass Carib (Trafalgar Square); Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield), Black Heroes in the Hall Of Fame (U.S Tour); Been So Long (Workshop at Young Vic).
Television: Top of The Pops; The Jack Docherty Show (Ch 5) and Virgin G’day Party
Radio: The Radio One Show; Funeral Rites (BBC World Service).
Other: Has worked with such artists as Soul II Soul, Anjelique Kidjo and Neil Diamond amongst others.
Enyonam makes a welcome return to The Lion King, having been part of the 2003 London Company.
Jamie Golding
Standby Timon, Zazu & Pumbaa
Place of Birth: Essex
Theatre: Guys and Dolls (Kilworth House, Leicester); Kern Goes To Hollywood (Kings Head); Starlight Express (London, Germany and New Zealand Tour); The Best Of Times (Bridewell and Vaudeville); The Beautiful Game (Sydmonton Festival and Cambridge Theatre); Alice in Wonderland (RSC, Barbican and Stratford Upon Avon); Urinetown (London Workshop); The Canterville Ghost (UK Tour); Sweeney Todd (Theatre Clwyd); Les Misérables (Palace Theatre, London)
Television: Grange Hill (BBC); Dodgem (BBC); The Ghostbusters of East Finchley (BBC); The Bill (ITV); The Southbank Show –”The Beautiful Game” (ITV)
Other: Original cast album of The Beautiful Game; “Rusty” on the 15th Anniversary CD of Starlight Express, Germany
Calvin Grandling
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Cape Town, South Africa
Training: Johannes Brahms Conservatorium, Hamburg
Theatre: The Lion King (Johannesburg, South Africa); The Lion King (Taiwan, Taipei); The Lion King (Hamburg, Germany)
Television: 2004 Won competition in the category of singing with instrument in ‘The Yamaha Young Talent’; 2006 Singer in the ”10th Anniversary of June 16th, Word of Mouth Productions.
Other: The Lion King marks Calvin’s West End debut.
Martina Isibor
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Nigeria
Theatre: Thriller Live (Lyric Theatre)
Television: Eastenders (BBC); Holby City (BBC) and Top Boy (Channel 4)
Film: Pass the Comb (short); The Boat that Rocked and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
Sindisiwe Khumalo
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Training: KwaMashu Community Advancement Projects
Theatre: Africa Umoja (Victory Theatre, Johannesburg); Soweto Spiritual Singers and House of the Holy Afro (Cape Town)
The Lion King marks Sindisiwe’s West End debut.
Gemma Knight Jones
Ensemble / Sarabi
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Identity Drama School
Theatre: Sister Act (UK Tour); Hairspray (UK tour); Tangled Lives, Twisted Loves (Drill Hall Theatre); Been So Long (Young Vic Theatre and Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh); Rent (Broadway Theatre); Ragtime (Kenneth More Theatre) and Ignite (Arcola Theatre)
Gemma is co-director and member of Songbird Sessions – a trio of vocalists providing session vocals for the music industry. She has secured work for record labels including Island Records and BMG Classics, and for artists including Rumer.
The Lion King marks Gemma’s West End debut.
Tramaine Lamy
Swing
Place of Birth: Trinidad, West Indies
Training: University of the West Indies
Theatre: Crazy For You; Fiddler on the Roof; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; The Sound of Music; Aida; Steel and An Evening of August Television: Carnival Taste (CNMG)
Tramaine was a performer with Disney Cruise Line for two years before making her West End debut in The Lion King.
Stephanie Laughlin
Swing
Place of Birth: Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies
Training: Caribbean School of Dance, Trinidad; Marymount Manhattan College, New York
Television: Stephanie has performed on numerous shows including: The Brit Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, The Royal Variety Performance, The X Factor and Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Stephanie has worked with choreographers David Parsons, Doug Varone, Edwaard Liang, Pedro Ruiz, Frank Gatson, Jermaine Browne, HiHat and Tina Landon, and with major recording artists including: Beyoncé, Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Leona Lewis. For the 2012 London Olympics, she worked as an associate choreographer with the Sports Presentation team.
The Lion King marks Stephanie’s West End debut.
Francesco Lins
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Recife, Brazil
Training: Sao Jose Do Rio Preto Ballet, Criart Popular Culture, Centro De Danca Jaime Aroxa (Ballroom)
Theatre: Viva Brazil (German Tour)
Other: P&O’s Pride Of Bilbao ‘Legends’; TUI Cruises’ Island Escape ‘Magic Of The Musicals’. The Lion King marks Francisco’s West End debut.
Scott Maurice
Ensemble
Place of Birth: London, England
Theatre: Never Forget (Savoy Theatre); Fame – the Musical (UK Tour); Thriller Live (Lyric Theatre); Hair (European tour) and Ghost The Musical (Piccadilly Theatre)
Television: Top of the Pops, Blue Peter and Proms in the Park (BBC); LYNX TV special (MTV); Royal Caribbean, T4 on the Beach, The X Factor, The Graham Norton Show and Children in Need Rocks
Scott has performed with Beyoncé on The Grammy Awards and The MTV VMA Awards, with Chris Brown on the Fame tour and with Kelly Rowland on her UK tour, to name a few. He had his first taste as a recording artist when he wrote Warner Music release ‘Never Leave Me Alone’, which reached number two in the garage charts. Scott has recently been named patron to Pineapple Performing Arts in London’s Covent Garden.
Andy Mace
Standby Scar & Pumbaa
Place of Birth: Chatham, England
Theatre: Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre and UK tour); Betty Blue Eyes (Novello Theatre); Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre); The Woman in White (Palace Theatre); Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre, the O2 and Windsor Castle); Rent (Prince of Wales Theatre, Shaftesbury Theatre); The Full Monty (Prince of Wales Theatre); Napoleon (Shaftesbury Theatre); Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and UK tour); Troilus and Cressida (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and UAE tour) and Martin Guerre (Prince Edward Theatre)
Television: Finest Hour (BBC); The Royal Variety Performance (2001, 2006 and 2010); Blue Peter (BBC); The Alan Titchmarsh Show (ITV) and Children in Need (BBC). Andy was continuity announce for Bravo TV for three years.
Shelley Maxwell
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Training: La Escuela Nacional de Arte, Havana-Cuba. Edna Manley College, Jamaica. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, New York
Theatre: Fela! (The National Theatre, London); The Lion King 2008-2010, West End. Principal Dancer of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica. Dancer for the Tavaziva Dance Company, London.
Film: World War Z, Dancehall Queen.
Other: Artistic Director and Choreographer for the MaxwellDanceProject.
Phumlani Mazibuko
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
Training: Wits University
Theatre: Song For June 16
Television: Memezq
Mduduzi Mkhethi
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Duduza, South Africa
Theatre: Maru, Malindi Sex Strike; Iso Broken Eye; Animal Farm; Trush Track; Umshado; Kwelabatana, (South Africa, Sibikwa Art Centre)
Television: Rhythm City ‘Ziyawala’
Other: Mduduzi is a recording Artist with 2 gospel albums; ‘Calvary’ and ‘Khonza’. The Lion King marks Mduduzi’s West End debut.
Phumlani Mkhize
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Training: Storey Productions
Theatre: Mighty Zulu Nation (Durban Playhouse); Natives Blues (Catalina Theatre); The Lion King (Johannesburg, Taipei and Las Vegas)
Television: Appearance on LA’s Dancing With The Stars
Sello Molefi
Swing
Place of Birth: Kroonstad, South Africa
Training: Fuba Accademy, RSM London, Wits University
Theatre: The Lion King (Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai and Johannesburg)
Other: Sello has worked internationally as a composer for film and theatre including: Elephant Tales; Dance Through Me (Theatreworks, Melbourne); Roots and Shoots (Shanghai); C Sounds Music Project and MANTSWE (Gumbination Productions). The Lion King marks Sello’s West End debut.
Aaron Morgan
Swing
Place of birth: Wolverhampton
Training: Urdang Academy
Television: The Olympic Torch Concert; Avenue of the Stars
Radio: Has performed on Y-FM and Rainbow FM
Other: Accomplished gymnast and backing singer. The Lion King marks Aaron’s West End debut.
Candice Morris
Swing
Place of Birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Training: Ballet school, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (Kingston) and Florida International University
Theatre: Candice was a member of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica. Founder of Dixie Claire Children’s Arts (Kingston).
Saori Oda
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Japan
Training: The Urdang Academy (student of the year), Previous training in classical singing and ballet in Japan.
Theatre: Wicked (Apollo Victoria); Aladdin (Hackney Empire); The King and I (Royal Albert Hall), The Wizard of Oz (Southbank Centre); The Phantom of the Opera (Fukuoka, Japan)
Television: Brit Awards with the Pet Shop Boys
Other: choir member in Charity Concert (Guildhall); solo and duo in HSBC Private Bank Gala Dinner (Grand Hyatt Hotel, Hong Kong); acrobatic duo in the Mayor’s Gala (Finsbury Town Hall); Hair Show (Windsor); won Got Skillz 2009 (Ocean, Hackney)
Kella Panay
Swing
Place of Birth: London
Training: London Studio Centre, English National Ballet School, Urdang Academy of Performing Arts
Theatre: Porgy and Bess (Assistant Choreographer); Saturday Night Fever; Bombay Dreams (Dance Captain)
Television: Royal Variety Performance; Top of the Pops; Blue Peter; Children in Need; Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
Video: Spirit in the Sky (Gareth Gates); Shakalaka Baby (Black Dog Production)
Other: Choreographed for Kali Theatre Company
Charlie Simmons
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Stevenage, England
Training: Bird College
Television: The Eurovision Song Contest
Film: CTRL
The Lion King marks Charlie’s West End debut.
Jahrel Thomas
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Bristol, England
Training: Liberatus School of Performing Arts
Theatre: Fame (Wyvern Theatre and the Alexandra)
Television: Contestant on Got to Dance (Sky)
Jahrel has danced at Clothes Show Live and The Lion King marks his West End debut.
Nic Vani
Swing
Place of Birth: Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Theatre: The Lion King (Holland)
Television: S.A.B.C1 for S.A.M.A Awards; Gospel Gold
Other: The Lion King marks Ntsikelelo’s West End debut.
Craig Williams
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Luton, Bedfordshire
Training: The Urdang Academy
Theatre: Purlie; Jack and the Beanstalk; Spirit of Christmas; Thriller – The Musical (UK and Scandanavian Tours); The Genius Of Ray Charles (UK and US Tours, Monte Carlo)
Television: The Royal Variety Performance (ITV); Stars In Their Eyes – Live Final
Film: You, Me And Us (U Me Aur Hum)
Other: Appeared in a music video for Josh Winks. This marks Craig’s West End debut.
Momo Yeung
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Hong Kong
Training: Northern Ballet School (UK) and Starchevski School of Ballet (Canada)
Theatre: Aladdin (The New Wimbledon Theatre, Liverpool Empire, Milton Keynes, New Victoria, Woking); AD2050 (Kali Theatre Company); The Night Pirates (UK Tour for Theatre Hullabaloo); Celtic Journey (Churchill Bromley); Stuart Thomas Dance (London Cochrane); Sleeping Beauty; The Nutcracker; Coppelia (St Margarets Festival Ballet)
Other: Royal Caribbean Cruiselines. The Lion King marks Momo’s West End debut.
Stephen Carlile
Scar
Place of Birth: Bath, England
Training: Guildford School of Acting
Theatre: The Go-Between (West Yorkshire Playhouse, Royal & Derngate, and Derby) and Perfect Pitch season at Trafalgar Studios, London; studio production of the new musical Bridget Jones’s Diary; Evita (European Tour); Twelfth Night for Creation Theatre Company; Peter Pan (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Don Giovanni; The Wizard of Oz (New Vic Theatre); Next Door’s Baby (Orange Tree, Richmond); Park Avenue (Lilian Baylis Theatre); By Jeeves (Eastbourne/tour); My Fair Lady (National Theatre, West End); The Producers (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); The Importance of Being Earnest (Jermyn Street); The Pirates of Penzance (Orange Tree, Richmond); The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre); Over My Shoulder (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford/tour); Snoopy! (Jermyn Street Theatre); Coward in Concert (Covent Garden Festival); Space Family Robinson (Pleasance)
Film: Brideshead Revisited for Miramax Pictures
Radio: The Postman and the Poet (Jay Records); Next Door’s Baby and Silk (both for Judd Music Ltd); Boscobel and A Night in the Ukraine (both for BBC Radio 4); Doctor Who (BBC/Big Finish); Peter Pan (Dress Circle); Songs From Jesus Christ Superstar (Jay Records); Vanity Fair and Over My Shoulder (TER Records)
Cleveland Cathnott
Mufasa
Place of Birth: St Andrew, Jamaica
Training: University of the West Indies, Edna
Manley School for the Visual Arts
Theatre: The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre, London); Father Holung and Friends (Jamaica,
then tour to Germany, Philippines, England, Antigua, St Kitts, Cayman Islands, Miami, New York and Hong Kong); Robin Baston’s Theatrical House (Jamaica)
Gugwana Dlamini
Rafiki
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Training: Committed Artists, South Africa
Theatre: The Lion King (London, US tour and Singapore); Sarafina; Township Fever; African National Congress 100th Anniversary
Television: Music video with Lucky Dube, Bayete
Film: Sarafina
Radio: Mr Lampard (BBC)
Meilyr Sion
Zazu
Place of Birth: Aberystwyth, Wales
Training: University of Cardiff
Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest; Mappa Mundi; Hamlet (Theatre Wales Company); Everything Must Go (Sherman Theatre); Pinocchio (Sherman Theatre); Flora’s War (Clwyd Theatre)
Television: Holby City (BBC); High Hopes (BBC Wales)
Radio: The Fish Can Sing, What We Did on Our Holidays (Radio 4); Cymberline (Radio 3); Leaving, The Harder They Fall; Trouble Brewing (Radio Wales)
Other: Meilyr recently had a fourth children‘s book published with Gomer Press
John Hasler
Timon
Place of Birth: London, England
Theatre: Conversations With My Father, Mirandolina, 40 Years On (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough); The Railway Children (touring); Brighton Beach Memoirs (English Theatre, Frankfurt); Macbeth (RSC); Pericles (Ludlow Castle); The Cub (Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh); Lost in Yonkers (Mercury Theatre, Colchester); Tarnished Angel (Finborough Theatre); Peter Pan (Lyceum Theatre, Crewe); Cinderella (City Varieties Theatre, Leeds); Pinocchio (Arts Theatre, London); Oliver! (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield)
Television: The Adventures of T-Bag (nine series); Renford Rejects; Casualty; The Bill; Against All Odds; Doctor at the Top; Harry’s Mad; The Mighty Hood
Film: Brazil; Breakout; 10 Arenas of Marwood
Radio: First Light, With a Little Help From My Friends, Travelling Light, Auntie Mame, One Chord Wonders, Together, Magenta in Orange/Pink, Go for It!, Well That’s One Way of Looking at It, Now You‘re Talking, Fairly Secret Agent, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Something to Think About/Forever Spring (all for BBC Radio)
Other: John has provided voice-overs for numerous television and film productions including: Fireman Sam, Get Squiggling, The Legends of Treasure Island, Teenage Fairy Tale Dropout, Chiro, Gnomeo & Juliet, Arthur Christmas, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Tales of the Night, High School Musical and the Disney/Pixar movie Brave. He has also recorded numerous commercials, computer games, educational resources and audiobooks
Mark Roper
Pumbaa
Place of Birth: Birkenhead, Wirral
Training: Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Theatre: West End: Oliver! (Drury Lane); Jailhouse Rock (Piccadilly); Calamity Jane (Sadler‘s Wells); Leonardo (Strand); Sweeney Todd (Royal Festival Hall); Secret Garden (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Alice in Wonderland (Birmingham Rep); A Midsummer Night‘s Dream, Love’s Labour‘s Lost, The Pirates of Penzance, Where’s Charley? (Regent‘s Park); Macbeth, The Beaux Stratagem, Drums in the Night, North (Liverpool Playhouse); Fears and Misery of the Third Reich (Young Vic); When We Are Married, The Crucible, A View From The Bridge, Pacific Overtures, Sunday in the Park With George, Carousel, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, The Rocky Horror Show (Leicester Haymarket); Stepping Out, Oklahoma! (Hornchurch); The Marriage of Figaro (New Vic); Dick Barton: Special Agent, Happy and Glorious (Croydon Warehouse); Guys and Dolls (Gaiety, Dublin); Oh What a Lovely War (Colchester Mercury); LazyTown Live! (tour) and many times as dame/villain in pantomimes!
Television: The Inbetweeners (E4), Starlings, Little Crackers, Dream Team (Sky); Life’s Too Short, Line of Duty, Inside Men, My Family, Hustle, After You’ve Gone, Silent Witness, Billy Goats Gruff, Dalziel and Pascoe, Mersey Beat, Desperados, Doctors, Grange Hill, Rough Justice, The Beggar Bride (BBC); Law and Order: UK; The Whistleblowers, Mike Bassett: Manager, Open Wide, Peak Practice, Coronation Street, The Bill, She’s Out, Undercover Customs, The Good Guys (ITV)
Film: Les Misérables (Working Title); Jack the Giant Killer (New Line Cinema); The Da Vinci Code (Columbia Pictures); Pierrepoint (Granada Films); Blitz (Lionsgate); Anglo Saxon Attitudes (Euston Films)
Radio: A Room of One’s Own (Radio 4); Lazytown Radio, Dogbear (BBC7)
Other: Mark recently did a workshop for The Last Ship with Sting, and is a voice-over artist
Nicholas Nkuna
Simba
Place of Birth: Mpumalanga, South Africa
Training: Tshwane University of Technology
(Musical Theatre); Ball State University,
Muncie, Indiana (Musical Theatre)
Theatre: Rent; Parade; Assassins; Shaka Zulu The Musical; Oliver Twist; Dreamgirls; The Phantom of the Opera (Nicholas is the youngest actor ever to perform the role of The Phantom)
Other: Nicholas is a songwriter and arranger of gospel, soul and pop music
Carole Stennett
Nala
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Vocal Tech – Popular Music Performance, University of North London
Theatre: The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre, London); Thriller Live (Lyric, London); The 12 Days of Christmas (Tilbury Docks); The Legend of The Lion King (Disneyland Paris)
Television: This Morning (ITV); Get Up and Give (GMTV)
Radio: Gospel Train (BBC Radio 2)
Daniel Norford
Banzai
Place of Birth: Plymouth, England
Training: East 15 Acting School, London
Theatre: The American Clock (Finborough Theatre); Estate Walls (Oval House Theatre); The Notebook of Trigorin (Finborough Theatre); Aladdin (Greenwich Theatre); Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian (Watford Palace Theatre); Caribbean Story (Hackney Empire and Arts Theatre); Cinderella (Watford Palace Theatre); The Caucasian Chalk Circle (China tour); Multiplex (Theatre Royal Plymouth) and The Full Monty (tour)
Film: Driftwood, Small-Time Revolutionary and Smile
Gbemisola Ikumelo
Shenzi
Place of Birth: Nigeria
Training: Queen Margaret University
Theatre: The Colored Museum (Talawa Theatre); Death and the King’s Horseman (National Theatre); Duck (Unicorn Theatre); Rent (English Theatre, Frankfurt); The Bat (New Vic Theatre); God Is a DJ (Theatre Centre); The Next Big Thing (The Albany Theatre); The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre, London); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Byre Theatre, St Andrews) and Godspell (Gateway Theatre, Edinburgh)
Television: One Night (BBC); Holby City (BBC); What’s Your News? (Nickelodeon)
Film: Cocktail, Good Night
Radio: Doctor Who (Big Finish Productions); Lysistrata (Angel Eye Media); The No 1 Ladies‘ Detective Agency, Troilus and Cressida, Burned to Nothing, Ambridge Extra (BBC)
Other: Gbemisola was Assistant Director on The Knot of the Heart (Almeida Theatre); and African All Stars (Tiata Fahodzi/Stratford Theatre Royal East
Philip Oakland
Ed
Place of Birth: Colchester, England
Training: Webber Douglas, Peterhouse, Cambridge
Theatre: A Rake’s Progress (Strangeface Theatre); The Vaudevillains (Les Enfants Terribles); The Mouse Who Saved Christmas, A Christmas Carol, The Canterbury Tales, The Men’s Room (all for Icon Theatre); The Old Curiosity Shop; Whisky Galore; Straw-Headed Peter; These Things Do Happen; Country Voices; Pinocchio (all for NTC); Peer Gynt (Hackney Empire); Robin Hood (Greenwich Theatre); Stepping on the Cracks; The Sorcerer’s Apprentice; Catch a Falling Star (Snap Theatre)
Other: Writer of We’ll Call You (Mercury Theatre)
Abigail Ayton
Young Nala
Place of Birth: Kingston-upon-Thames, England
Training: Abigail has studied street dance, ballet, drama and musical theatre at Dance Shack in Leatherhead for the past four years.
Theatre: Shack Five (Leatherhead Theatre); lead vocalist in Proud (Leatherhead Theatre); 40th Anniversary (Leatherhead Theatre); Matilda (Epsom Playhouse) and The Sound of a 1000 Strings (Leatherhead Theatre)
Other: She has also modelled extensively. This marks her professional debut
Jude Blake
Young Simba
Place of Birth: Newport, South Wales
Training: Helen O’Grady Drama Academy
Theatre: South Pacific (Bristol Hippodrome)
Gabriel Cadogan
Young Simba
Place of Birth: London
Training: International Performing Arts & Theatre (I-PATH)
Theatre: Gabriel took on lead roles in many school productions.
The Lion King marks Gabriel’s professional debut.
Joshua Cameron
Young Simba
Place of Birth: London
Training: J’s Dance Factory
The Lion King marks Joshua’s professional debut.
Daniel Daszek-Green
Young Simba
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Stagecoach
Other: Battle of the Bands, Borough Competition, Chinese New Year, London Parade. The Lion King mark’s Daniels professional debut.
Donica Elliston
Young Nala
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Helen O’Grady Academy, CTA London
Theatre: IPOP (Los Angeles) winning Actress of the Year and medal for Best Scene
Other: Her poem My Hero was published in the Leukaemia Cancer Society book.
Ella Marshall-Pinder
Young Nala
Place of Birth: North London
Training: Stagecoach Barnet, Highgate Ballet School
Theatre: The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium)
Film: Foster
Adelaide Morgan
Young Nala
Place of Birth: Walsall, England
Training: Theatrics Stage School
The Lion King marks Adelaide’s
professional debut
Phoenix Powell
Young Nala
Place of Birth: Florida, USA
Training: Sylvia Young Theatre School
Television: Narrator on A Poem Is… (Disney Chann
Ciaran Stow
Young Simba
Place of Birth: Nottingham, England
Training: Spritzer Dance Company and Performing Arts School
Theatre: South Pacific (Theatre Royal, Nottingham)
Maia Tamrakar
Young Nala
Place of Birth: Leeds, England
Training: Bristol School of Performing Arts, Bristol School of Dance
Theatre: The King and I (Bristol Hippodrome and tour); Miss Saigon; Evita; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Whistle Down the Wind; Never Forget; Dick Whittington; The Jungle Book and Les Misérables (all at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff); The French Detective and The Blue Dog (the egg theatre, Bath)
Television: Illuminations (Channel 4); Grandpa in My Pocket; The Sparticle Mystery (BBC)
William Wright-Neblett
Young Simba
Place of Birth: Hackney, London
Training: New London Performing Arts Centre, Royal Academy of Dance
Theatre: Messiah (London Coliseum & Sadler’s Wells)
Film: Little White Lies
Television: Scaredycat (Sky)
Other: Everybody Dreams a song for Tottenham (documentary and flashmob video); Disrespectful (Chakka Khan music video); dance performances at numerous festivals and shows in London and the South-East
David Albury
Ensemble
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: Central School of Speech and Drama (MA in Music Theatre)
The Lion King marks David’s professional debut.
Keisha Amponsa Banson
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Harrow, London
Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Theatre: Believers Anonymous (Rosemary Branch Theatre/White Bear Theatre); A Christmas Special (Old Vic Tunnels); Stand Tall (Landor Theatre/Shrill Productions); Footloose (2011 UK tour); Harriet Tubman (Holy Trinity Church); Woosah (The 24 Hour Plays, Old Vic New Voices, The Old Vic Theatre); Knight Crew (Glyndebourne Opera House); Little Shop of Horrors (Menier Chocolate Factory, UK tour)
Television: Gareth Malone Goes to Glyndebourne (BBC2/TwentyTwenty Media); West End Story: What Nancy, Joseph and Maria Did Next (BBC1); I’d Do Anything (BBC1)
Radio: Opening Doors (Soho Theatre); Grateful (Cadogan Hall) and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 60th birthday in Hyde Park (BBC Radio 2)
Other: When training, Keisha was awarded the Andrew Lloyd Webber Art Foundation Scholarship
Tovah-Marie Bembridge
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Jamaica
Training: The School of Dance at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica
Other: Member of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (Performed choreography by Professor the Hon. Rex Nettleford, Clive Thompson, Eduardo Riviera and Arsenio Andrade-Calderon among others, in Jamaica and on tours throughout the USA and the Caribbean). Choreographed works for the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica’s Young Choreographer’s Showcases
Magali Brito
Ensemble
Place of Birth: New York, USA
Training: Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris; Formation Jazz Rick Odums, Paris; Jacob’s
Pillow, Lee, USA
Theatre: Compagnie Lève un peu les bras (Maison des arts de Créteil); Compagnie Rick
Odums (French tour); Projet 104 Carmen (Opéra Comique, Paris)
Television: Path of Pearls, Bahrein
Film: Ticket to Hollywood
Other: MA production South Korea, Dreamer (aerial dance). Compagnie les Passagers, world tour (aerial dance)
Thembelihle Cele
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Training: Flatfoot Training Company
Theatre: Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, The Comedy of Errors
Television: Finalist in Popstars (ETV South Africa)
Other: Member of UKZN Choir. The Lion King marks Thembelihle’s professional debut
Bethzy Charadan
Swing
Place of Birth: Guantanamo, Cuba
Training: ENA – Escuela Nacional de Arte (Danza Moderna y Contemporanea)
Theatre: Aida (Stade de France, Paris); Dancer at James Carlès Dance Company (Toulouse, France); The Lion King (Théâtre Mongador, Paris); various variety shows in France; shows in Beijing ; The Lion King (Disneyland, Paris)
Janique Charles
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Trinidad and Tobago
Training: Two and a half years’ vocal training
Theatre: South Pacific (Theatre Royal, Nottingham)
Sup Dhanasunthorn
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Bangkok, Thailand
Training: American Musical and Dramatic Academy, NYC
Theatre: Aida (Royal Albert Hall); Miss Saigon (Merry Go Round Playhouse, New York)
Television: Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Film: 47 Ronin (Universal)
Other: Choreographer for Embody Productions
Teisha Duncan
Ensemble/Sarabi
Place of Birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Training: The Edna Manlay College of the Visual and Performing Arts, The Jamaica School of Drama (Drama in Education) and Howard University (Musical Theatre)
Theatre: Caroline, or Change (Gallery Players); Sarafina (Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts); Bubbling Brown Sugar (Stage Door Theatre, Florida); The Bluest Eye (Dominican Republic); The Secret Garden (Adventure Theatre); Tartuffe (Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts); Charlie’s Angels (Centerstage Theatre); Who God Bless (The Little Theatre) Other: Teisha has worked internationally as an actress, director and educator
Thibault Durand
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Seoul, Korea
Training: CV Prod of Paris
Theatre: Lili Lampion (Théâtre de Paris); The Lion King (Mogador, Paris); 80 Jours (Paris); Pinocchio (Paris); Dora the Explorer (France tour); Attention Mesdames et Messieurs (Folies Bergère, Paris); Noël Magique (Alhambra, Paris); Swinging Fantasy (Paris)
Television: Plaisir de nuire, joie de décevoir (Trajectoire Givrée)
Film: Banlieue 13 Ultimatum (EuropaCorp); From Paris With Love (EuropaCorp) Other: Le Jour J (Epic Sony Music)
Thabo Gwadiso
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Johannesburg
Theatre: The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre, London)
Other: Thabo has worked extensively as a vocalist for various South African artists
including: Kwela Tebza; Don Laka; Tebs David; Solly Mahlangu and Palesa
Iamnia Montalvo Hernadez
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Havana, Cuba
Training: ENA – Escuela Nacional de Arte (Danza Moderna y Contemporánea)
Theatre: Tarzan (Germany); Jesus Christ Superstar (Theater Ingolstadt); Wella Trend Vision Award 2007, Barcelona; Love Travels (Theatre Madame Lothar, Bremen)
Other: Teacher/trainer for Decaying Dance to the ENA (Espertaculos of Musical), Cuba. Teacher/trainer/choreographer of Latin American dances
Kwesi Jeffers
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Trinidad and Tobago
Training: University of the West Indies
Theatre: Villains Tonight, Twice Charmed (Disney Cruise Lines, Mediterranean cruise); Jesus Christ Superstar (Queen‘s Hall, Trinidad); The Little Mermaid (Queen‘s Hall, Trinidad)
Other: Soloist/choir member in the Love Movement Choir charity concert; Reflections of Love (Adam Smith Square, Trinidad)
Aiko Kato
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Ishikawa, Japan
Training: Kajikawa Ballet School (Japan); the Northern Ballet School (UK)
Theatre: The King and I (Royal Albert Hall, Leicester and UK and Ireland tour); Swan Lake
and Coppélia (The Vienna Festival Ballet, UK tour)
Television: The Pet Shop Boys (The Brit Awards 2009)
Mduduzi Madela
Swing
Place of Birth: Umlazi, South Africa
Training: UKZN, South Africa
Has performed various works as a musician.
Hope Maine
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Matlosana, North West Province, South Africa
Training: Word of Mouth workshops, Brain Kenneth Theatre: The Lion King (Singapore)
Television: Spirit Word Channel (third place for Africa); International Student Convention (USA); presenter on SWS (Spirit Word Sound)
Nonhlanhla Makhathini
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa
Training: Ballet Theatre Afrikan, the National School of Arts, Ballet St Pölten, graduating with a National Diploma in Dance from Tshwane University of Technology
Theatre: Swan Lake; Cinderella; Les Rendezvous and Coppélia; various local and international contemporary arts festivals; danced for companies such as BTA, Tshwane Dance Theatre, Free Flight Dance Co, Inspirations Dance Co, First Physical Theatre Co, Dance Empire; The Lion King (South Africa and Taiwan)
Other: Corporate events such as Miss World, Miss South Africa, FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.
As one of South Africa’s first black professional ballerinas, Nonhlanhla is a versatile and award-winning dancer and choreographer
Mariano Manzella
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Termini Imerese, Palermo, Sicily
Training: Cinzia Cona Academy, Ials, Rome
Theatre: Empedocle (Temple de la Concòrdia); Pittorika (Metropolitan Catania); La lupa (Teatro Massimo, Palermo); L’arca di giada musical (Italian tour)
Film: Cha Cha Cha (Marco Risi)
Other: Amway with Luc Petit Creation, Munchen
Giovanni Napoli
Swing/Dance Captain/Fight Captain
Place of Birth: Fort-de-France, Martinique (FWI)
Training: The Ailey School/Fordham University (BFA in Dance); Dance Theatre of Harlem School, American Musical and Dramatic Academy (New York); Le Centre National de la Danse (Paris)
Theatre: The Lion King (Paris, Hamburg); Notre-Dame de Paris (Asia and West End)
Television: Jean-Paul Goude and as model in Tribute to Grace Jones; série Engrenages (Canal +)
Film: Fais danser la poussière (France 2)
Other: Danced in works by Judith Jamison, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, Wanjiru Kamuyu and Karen Arceneaux and in workshops with William Forsythe and Ballet Anjelin Preljocaj
Anna Ella Neocel
Swing/Dance Captain
Place of Birth: Ivry-sur-Seine, France
Training: Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Alvin Ailey School
The Lion King marks Anna’s professional debut
Nosipho Nkonqa
Swing
Place of Birth: Cape Town, South Africa
Training: Wendy Fine Singing Studio and Artscape Choral Training Programme
Theatre: The Lion King (Holland, South Africa, Taipei and Singapore); Nabucco; Aqua Opera; Faust; La bohème
Television: Holland Music Awards (SBS6)
Phindile Nyandeni
Swing
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Training: Mbongeni Ngema’s Academy of Performing Arts
Theatre: The Lion King (Paris and Singapore)
Mark Peachey
Standby Scar and Pumbaa
Place of Birth: Leicester, England
Training: East 15 Acting School
Theatre: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK tour); Mr Stink (original UK tour); The Gruffalo (Duchess and Criterion, London); Stuart Little (UK tour); The Prince of the Pagodas (Royal Opera House); The Comedy of Errors (Hungary); Twelfth Night (UK tour); The Tempest (Young Shakespeare Company); Jack and the Beanstalk (Wyvern Theatre, Swindon); Snow White (Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock); Plague of Innocence (Leicester Haymarket Theatre)
Film: One Minutes, Tessa
George Rae
Standby Timon, Zazu, Pumbaa & Ed
Place of Birth: Ayrshire, Scotland
Training: Royal Academy of Music – PGDip (Distinction), LRAM; Napier University (BMus); University of Greenwich/Trinity College of Music (PGCE)
Theatre: The World Goes ‘Round (Canal Café Theatre, London); Company (Insideout Productions); created the role of George Campbell in Whisky Galore – A Musical! (Pitlochry Festival Theatre, World Premiere); Other Pitlochry Festival Theatre productions include: Noises Off (Leon Sinden Award Winner – Best Supporting Actor); Rough Crossing; Kiss Me, Kate; An Ideal Husband; The Life of Stuff, The Servant o’ Twa Maisters, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella; Pinocchio (Adam Smith Theatre), The Mikado and HMS Pinafore (Carl Rosa Opera Company’s 2006/2008 British/USA tours), Michael Strassen’s Company (King’s Head Theatre, London), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! (King’s Head Theatre), The Pirates of Penzance (Buxton Opera House), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (West End/ National Tour); Fame with Barbara Dickson, Simply Sondheim (Music Theatre Ireland), A Slice of Saturday Night (National Tour), A Dickens of a Christmas (Jermyn Street Theatre)
Television: An Enchanted Evening – Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (BBC 4 DVD); The Queen’s Golden Jubilee; Taggart (STV)
Other: As a Musical Director, credits include Beauty and the Beast (Questors Theatre, London), Little Women (Bloomsbury Theatre); Tarzan (The Music Box, Edinburgh)
Lloyd Rathebe
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Soweto, South Africa
Training: The Backyard Theatre Group
Theatre: Rumba in the Jungle (Sun City Super Bowl); Ipi Ntombi (Sydney and New Zealand); Gumboots (Playhouse Theatre, London); The Lion King (South Africa, Taipei and Singapore)
Television: eKasi: Our Stories – A Good Wife (SABC1 Generations, ETV)
Jeffrey Richardson
Swing
Place of Birth: Port of Spain, Trinidad
Training: Estill Vocal Anatomy, Daybreak Youth Choir, Mrs Holitsia
Theatre: The Lion King (Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai and Paris)
Television: Carols by Candlelight (Melbourne); Molière Awards (Paris); New Year’s Eve Gala (Opera House, Sydney); Daybreak/Community Dateline (Trinidad); Good Friday Appeal (Melbourne)
Other: Film and TV Production graduate (production management, directing, picture editing); Technicolor Student Filmmaker Award, Best Short Film Awards, Best Male Vocalist Award, Double Keynote Award recipient, Barbados Gospel Festival, gospel recording artist
Tarisha Rommick
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Antigua
Training: Millennium Performing Arts
Theatre: Anthems (Royal Albert Hall); Fame (UK tour); Footloose (UK tour); Chess in Concert (Royal Albert Hall); Carmen Jones (Royal Festival Hall)
Film: About a Boy
Jean Salamao
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Brazil
Training: Balé Folclórico da Bahia, Grupo de capoeira Farol da Bahia
Theatre: Teatro Miguel Santana: Balé folclórico da Bahia (Bahia de todas as cores); Teatro Castro Alves: Balé Folclórico da Bahia (Rapizódia Nordestina); Balé Folclórico da Bahia (tour EUA); Batuque Samba Show (Portugal); Warriors of Brazil (Australian tour); The Lion King (Hamburg)
Television: The Lion King (Germany)
Georgey Souchette
Swing
Place of Birth: Fort-de-France, Martinique
Training: Paris, Institut de Formation Professionnel Rick Odums (IFPRO)
Theatre: The Lion King (Théâtre Mogador, Paris); Tut (St Clements Theatre, New York)
Film: La Véritable histoire de Blanche Neige (Téléfilm France 2); Fais danser la poussière (Telefilm France 2)
Other: Ballets Jazz Rick Odums, Armstrong Jazz Ballet, Forces of Nature Dance Theatre and Nathan Trice/Rituals. Best Male Jazz Dance Performer (Paris)
Alex Thomas
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Derby, England
Training: Laine Theatre Arts
Theatre: Mystic Rhythms (Tokyo Disney Resort); Aladdin (King’s Theatre, Glasgow); A Centennial Celebration (New Wimbledon Theatre); Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Richmond Theatre); Christopher Biggins‘ Big Night Out (Richmond Theatre); Aladdin with John Barrowman (SECC, Glasgow)
Other: Trinity DaDA 10th anniversary (Imagination Gallery, London); Variety Club annual ball (Park Lane Hilton Hotel, London); Olympics Closing Ceremony 2012
Thulisile Thusi
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Richards Bay, South Africa
Training: Ongoye University, South Africa
Theatre: The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre, London)
Television: The Royal Variety Performance 2008 (Palladium Theatre, London)
Film: Amazing Grace soundtrack (Air Studios, London); Pride soundtrack (Abbey Road Studios, London); Bush Tales soundtrack
Radio: Disney Radio Live (BBC Radio 2)
Other: Performed for 2010 World Cup (London); Olivier Awards The Lion King performance; West End Live 2011; Little Miss Mee’s Trade performance. Thulisile was part of the London Company of The Lion King for eight years
Jermaine Woods
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Hastings, England
Training: Sylvia Young Theatre School, Laine Theatre Arts
Theatre: Peter Pan (Hawth Theatre, Crawley); Aladdin (Cambridge Arts Theatre); The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre, London); Coppélia (White Rock Theatre, Hastings); All England Dance (Peacock Theatre, London); Sunday Night at the Palladium (London Palladium)
Television: Born to Shine (ITV/Kewwhizz); CBeebies (CBBC); As the Bell Rings (Disney Channel); Coming Down the Mountain (BBC); Yo Gabba Gabba!, The Fountain, Lewis (ITV); Miss Marple (Granada Television); The Paul O‘Grady Show – Bugsy Malone episode (Channel 4)
Other: Save the Children, Princess Anne (Natural History Museum); West End Live
Charlene Zijlstra
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Training: Royal Conservatory, the Hague; National Ballet Academy, Amsterdam; Dance
Academy Lucia Marthas, Amsterdam
Theatre: Miss Saigon (Netherlands); High School Musical (Netherlands)
Other: Various productions for the Dutch Opera, Nike (Austria, USA and Netherlands); various fashion/dance shows for Viktor & Rolf, Met Jeans and AIFW; concerts with Lionel Richie and Diana Ross in Symphonica (Rosso, Arnheim)
Bonga Zulu
Ensemble
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Training: Universal Creative Arts
Theatre: The Lion King (Singapore); The Mighty Zulu Nation – Africa Africa, Native Blues (musical comedy)