Why do you think The Lion King has been such a long running success?
The Lion King is a spectacular show. There are so many layers to it and at the heart of it is a timeless story that resonates with everyone.

How did you react to being asked to play such an iconic role as Simba?
Ever since I first saw The Lion King, I fell in love with it. I used to watch the video with my brother so many times that we could recite the words along with the characters! Simba’s journey is really inspirational. When I was offered the role, it felt as if I’d been told to play a childhood hero!

You’ve done some TV work – do you prefer the stage?
Yes, most definitely. On the stage, there’s no opportunity to stop and start over again like with television or film. I love the challenge of reproducing the story every day, but still keeping it fresh for those coming to see it for the first time.

How old were you when Disney’s Lion King film came out? Did the story have a profound effect on you?
I was 11 years old when the film was released. If I think about what the story means to me, I’m reminded of Simba’s progression and growth that leads him to succeed. By learning from our mistakes, we can develop and succeed in our lives.

Have you ever had any wardrobe malfunctions on stage?
As part of my costume, I wear a beautiful hand-beaded corset. Unfortunately, some of the beads occasionally fall off with all the dancing. Even after the costumes are created, there’s still a lot of hard work that goes into maintaining them.

You were Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar – how does it feel going from villain to hero?
It’s always fun playing the bad guy! There’s something appealing about acting in a way completely unlike yourself. But playing the good guy is just as fun. Being able to save the day and get the girl eight times a week is a good feeling!

Why should theatre-goers see The Lion King? And after that why should they see it again?
The Lion King is a musical for kids and adults, theatre-lovers and first-timers. The show is so rich with detail that it’s impossible to take it all in the first time. The beautiful puppetry and costumes, the vivid make-up and lighting, the enormous staging, the evocative music and choreography all combine to create this wonderful musical. Who wouldn’t want to see it again?!

The Lion King is currently playing at the Lyceum Theatre. Book tickets to see the show here.

In other musical news, the highly anticipated X Factor Musical, called I Can’t Sing! will open at the London Palladium next year, with tickets going on sale today. Written by comedian Harry Hill and directed by Sean Foley, I Can’t Sing! begins previews at the Palladium on 27 February. The title sets the tone for the talent show-inspired musical, which features 19 original songs by Hill and Spend Spend Spend’s Steve Brown, and aims “an affectionate poke” at the popular ITV series, according to Hill and Brown.

Another week; another West End transfer. The Young Vic’s acclaimed production of A Doll’s House will transfer to the Duke of York’s Theatre this summer, following two sell-out runs at the Young Vic. Hattie Morahan will reprise her Critics’ Circle and Evening Standard Award-winning role as Nora in the production, which runs from 8 August to 26 October, alongside fellow original cast members Dominic Rowan, Nick Fletcher and Steve Toussaint.

London Theatre Cast News

• Jane Asher will star as Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production of Pride and Prejudice this summer. She’ll be joined by Jennifer Kirby, Imogen Byron, Yolanda Kettle, Eleanor Thorn and Leah Brotherhead as the five Bennet sisters, Timonty Walker and Rebecca Lacey as Mr and Mrs Bennet, David Oakes as Mr Darcy, Barnaby Sax as the charming Mr Wickham and Rob Heaps as wealthy bachelor Mr Bingley
• Michael Xavier and Charlotte Wakefield will star as Captain Von Trapp and Maria in the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic The Sound of Music at the Open Air Theatre
• Jessica Raine, Daniel Mays, Mark Gatiss and Tom Hiddleston are all to appear in the Donmar’s new season of plays from August this year. The season includes the premiere of Nick Payne’s new play The Same Deep Water As Me (with Daniel Mays); a revival of Arnold Wesker’s Roots (starring Jessica Raine and Linda Bassett); and Coriolanus (with Tom Hiddleston and Mark Gatiss).

If you’re into experimental and brand new theatre, make sure you check out this summer’s Almeida Festival, running from 9 July to 3 August. It’s a really eclectic programme, including international theatre companies, new collaborations and award-winning artists. Look out for Bryony Kimming’s new show, Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model; Lost Dogs’ new show Rabbits; and Dante or Die’s I Do, a site-specific piece that takes place in six hotel rooms 10 minutes before a wedding is due to start. For the full line-up, see almeida.co.uk/festival-2013.

The line-up for this year’s Kids Week has also been announced. Running for the whole of August in 2013, there are 34 top London shows offering free tickets to children aged 16 and under with every adult ticket bought. As well as top musicals, drama and dance shows, there are also workshops for kids interested in trying ballet, learning pop songs with the cast of Let It Be and tap dancing with Top Hat. Tickets go on sale on 18 June from kidsweek.co.uk.

The latest news from the National Theatre is that Rufus Norris will direct a new stage adaptation of the acclaimed novel Behind The Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death And Hope In A Mumbai Undercity next year. The novel by Katherine Boo is being adapted by playwright David Hare, and is a non-fiction account of life in the slums of Annawadi. If the adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time is anything to go by, the National could have another hit on their hands.

London Theatre Cast News

• Olivier Award-winning actor Julian Glover will star in the UK premiere of The Scottsboro Boys when it opens at the Young Vic later this year
• Joanna Lumley and Andrew Scott will star in two short plays by Harold Pinter as part of a programme of platform events at the Trafalgar Studios
• Maureen Lipman stars in the world premiere of Oliver Cotton’s Daytona at the Park Theatre from 10 July
• Danny Webb joins Imelda Staunton and Toby Jones in the UK premiere of Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation, part of the Royal Court’s Theatre Local project later this year
• Olivier Award winner Gawn Grainger and The Lord Of The Rings star Billy Boyd have joined the cast of Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe

Yesterday one of the most closely guarded secrets in theatreland has been revealed: the location of Punchdrunk’s new show. The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable will take place in the largest space the innovative theatre company have ever taken over: a massive empty building next door to Paddington Station. Subject to licensing and planning permission, Punchdrunk will transform 31 London Street into the forgotten world of Temple Studios for its latest immersive theatrical experience. The show has also extended its London run to 31 December with 50,000 extra tickets now on sale.

Next up, great news for fans of the multi-award winning The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. The National’s hit show has extended its booking period at the Apollo Theatre to October 2014, releasing an additional 250,000 tickets for the celebrated show. If you haven’t done so yet, book tickets to see it now! It’s a fantastic piece of feel-good theatre, with a real star at the centre of its cast in Luke Treadaway.

London’s theatre offering also expanded today with the opening of a brand new theatre in Finsbury Park. The Park Theatre is run by artistic director Jez Bond, and the first performance will be Melanie Marnich’s These Shining Lives, starting this week. Like last year’s new arrival, the St James theatre in Victoria, there are two spaces in the venue: a 200-seat theatre and a flexible 90-seat space. The Park Theatre will operate as a charity, relying on local support to keep it running. If you’re in the area – pop in! There’s a bar and a café inside too.

And speaking of the St James Theatre, I have news of their latest show. The American Plan is a transfer from Theatre Royal Bath, and will open at the Victoria venue in July. Richard Greenberg’s 1960s-set play is a tale of broken dreams, twisted motives and deceit. It stars Diana Quick as an overbearing mother intent on controlling her daughter’s life.

Finally, this year’s Greenwich+Docklands international theatre festival line-up has been announced. Organised by Bradley Hemmings, one of the team responsible for last year’s Paralympic Opening Ceremony, the festival will feature the best UK and international performers to streets, parks and public spaces in and around Greenwich. If you like immersive, unusual and eclectic performance, then make sure you’re in London between 21 to 29 June. And best of all, it’s all free!

Christmas London Theatre News

Is it too soon to get excited about the festive season in London? Perhaps. But if you’re the type of person who loves to plan ahead, you might fancy putting one of the following into the very end of your 2013 diary:

• Slava’s Snowshow returns to the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre for the third year running in December. The award-winning production, which mixes theatrical clowning and stunning visuals, will hit the venue just in time to create a white Christmas, playing from 17 December to 5 January
• And this week’s other Christmas announcement is that the legendary Henry Winkler will play Hook in Peter Pan at the Richmond Theatre from 6 December. Start practising your booing now!

How does writing an adaptation compare to writing an original play?
Writing an adaptation is pleasurable because someone’s already written the ending. Deciding how to end a play is a writer’s torture. With adaptations, you just have to make the plot work in the context you’ve decided on. One Man, Two Guvnors is set in Brighton in 1963. All I had to worry about was making it funny.

The Servant of Two Masters is very much of its period. What are the problems in adapting and updating a work of this genre?
The main problem to solve was that the original plot revolved around arranged marriage and that didn’t exist in the 1960s, except within certain cultures. The solution we came up with was to create a marriage of convenience because one of the parties was gay and wanted to hide that fact by marrying a woman. The second problem was the sword fighting that features in the original. In the 1960s, East End gangsters carried around flick knives so that introduced the gangster concept to the adaptation.

You’ve relocated the play from 18th century Venice to 1960s Brighton. How did that come about?
I had many early discussions with Nick Hytner, the production’s director, about where to set it. As food is such a motivating factor for the central character, my original idea was to set it just after World War II because food was still being rationed. Nick wasn’t keen on that as he thought using military colours for the set and costumes would be too muted. He wanted to have more primary colours in the mix so we settled on 1963.

You’ve retained many elements of Commedia dell’arte (Italian comedy). Was this important to you?
I wanted to keep most of the stock characters from the genre, but put a 1963 spin on them. So, for example, the birth of feminism gave us the character of Dolly. Although it’s not fashionable in contemporary theatre to have asides to the audience, I kept them in as I wanted to make an accessible, popular comedy that would find a new audience for the National Theatre.

One Man, Two Guvnors opened to critical acclaim at the National Theatre in 2011. It’s now on at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Book your tickets here.

Firstly this week, I have news of two shows closing early, and another extending. So, if you’re eager to see Strictly Come Dancing stars Kristina Rihanoff and Robin Windsor in Burn The Floor at the Shaftesbury Theatre, you’ll need to be quick. The show is now closing on 30 June. The same date will be the final performance of Viva Forever! at the Piccadilly Theatre. The musical based on the songs of the Spice Girls has run for just six months, but producers have blamed poor ticket sales and bad reviews for the early closure. Fans of One Man Two Guvnors are in luck however; the National Theatre’s hit comedy celebrates its third year in London this week by releasing an additional 150,000 tickets for the show at the Theatre Royal Haymarket: it’s now booking until 1 March 2014.

I’ve also got news of two new shows coming to London in the near future. Dance troupe ZooNation bring the world premiere their “unique twist” on The Wizard of Oz, Groove on Down the Road to the Southbank Centre this summer. Featuring music from the original 1978 film The Wiz remixed with current tunes by DJ Walde, Groove on Down the Road runs from 10 August to 1 September at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The acclaimed Sheffield Theatres production of The Full Monty will transfer to the West End next year for a 16-week season. The stage adaptation of the hit film will play at the Noel Coward Theatre from February next year. Following the news of American Psycho and The Commitments last week, it seems we can’t get enough of film adaptations on the London stage at the moment.

Finally, another summer treat to look forward to. The Lyric Hammersmith is running Theatre in the Square again this summer, encouraging visitors to indulge in free theatre from four of the country’s most innovative theatre companies over a four-week season. The shows’ themes range from water to motherhood to ice cream to The Bacchae. Theatre in the Square is part of the ever-brilliant Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.

London Theatre Cast News

• Ralf Little, Simon Day, John Gordon Sinclair and Con O’Neill will star in Sean Foley’s The Ladykillers when it returns to the Vaudeville Theatre in June
• West End regular Dianne Pilkington takes over as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! from 10 June, along with 24 other new cast members. It’ll be the biggest cast change since the show began performances in London back in 1999
• Darren Day will star in The Golden Voice, a new musical about the consequences of TV talent shows, playing at the Arts Theatre from June

What does A Chorus Line mean to you?
It’s an iconic musical and being involved in it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A Chorus Line is the forefather of reality TV shows, such as X Factor, and is therefore particularly relevant today.

What’s your favourite song from A Chorus Line?
“Dance Ten, Looks Three” for obvious reasons!

When was the first time you saw A Chorus Line and how many times have you seen it?
I’d never seen the stage show, but I did see the movie while I was training myself.

Do you think A Chorus Line is the ultimate dancer’s musical?
I don’t think A Chorus Line is the ultimate dancer’s musical; I think it’s the ultimate performer’s musical.

Why do you think A Chorus Line has been so successful?
I think it’s successful because it deals with real emotions and real-life stories. It isn’t a fairy tale or a fantasy, it offers a glimpse into the lives of performers striving to achieve their dreams. It’s inspirational.

What does performing at the London Palladium mean to you?
It’s legendary! Icons and idols have walked through the corridors, sat in the dressing rooms, laughed, cried, and sweated on that stage. It has an energy all of its own.

What do you bring to the role of Zach?
I bring my own experience to the role. I’m not so old that I can’t remember what it was like to be young, eager and excited by all the possibilities that lay before me. But I’m also old enough to know what it feels like to have a fresh batch of kids right behind you snapping at your heels. I know what it feels like to be rejected, to have your whole self worth wrapped up in a “Yes” or a “No”.

What part of a musical do you enjoy most; the dancing, acting, or singing?
I enjoy all of them equally.

Any lucky charms or rituals before you go on stage?
No, I am not superstitious. Preparation is King.

How important are your fans to you?
My fans are extremely important to me as they root for you, encourage you and support you – a little like family.

A Chorus Line is currently playing at the London Palladium. You can book tickets to see A Chorus Line here. You can follow A Chorus Line and John Partridge on twitter: @AChorusLineLDN and @mustbejp

The National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time won seven awards at last night’s Olivier Awards, equalling the record set last year by Matilda The Musical.

As well as Best New Play, Simon Stephens’ adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel featured the following winners: Luke Treadaway for Best Actor, Nicola Walker for Best Supporting Actress, Marianne Elliott for Best Director, Paule Constable for the White Light Award for Lighting Design, Bunny Christie and Finn Ross for the XL Video Award for Best Set Design and Ian Dickinson and Adrian Sutton for Best Sound Design. The Curious Incident is currently playing at the Apollo Theatre, following a successful West End transfer in March. It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen in recent years, so if you’re able to book a ticket, go! The show is now booking until January 2014.

The Audience, currently playing at the Gielgud Theatre and Sweeney Todd which ran at the Adelphi Theatre in the summer took two actor awards each: Helen Mirren won Best Actress for portraying The Queen and Richard McCabe took Best Supporting Actor for playing Harold Wilson in the former; Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton won Best Actor in a Musical and Best Actress in A Musical for their roles in Sweeney Todd. The brilliant Sondheim musical also won the prize for Best Musical revival.

Elsewhere, there were prizes for Top Hat, currently on at the Aldwych Theatre for Best New Musical, Costume Design and Choreography. Leigh Zimmerman won Best Performance in a Supporing Role in a Musical for A Chorus Line at the London Palladium. And long-runner Billy Elliot won the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award – voted for by the members of the public.

For a full list of winners, go to officiallondontheatre.co.uk

Congratulations to everyone involved. Do you agree with the judges’ choices? Let us know in the comments below.

In addition, new musical American Psycho, a co-production with the Headlong theatre company, will play at the Almeida Theatre from December. Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho is the story of Patrick Bateman, a young man publically embracing the high life in 1980s Manhattan while concealing a particularly nasty secret. The new show has a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa with music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik, choreography by Lynne Page and designs by Olivier Award winner Es Devlin. Together, these two shows make for a promising autumn / winter on London’s theatreland…

Good news now for Horrible Histories fans. The family-friendly series returns to London at the Garrick Theatre this autumn with a brand new show. Barmy Britain – Part Two offers a fresh – and no doubt sometimes disgusting – look at Britain’s grisly past. Barmy Britain – Part One will help fans brush up on the series, kicking off the Horrible Histories residency at the theatre from 7 August to 1 September. Part Two then follows from 26 September to 5 January.

Finally, I’m very excited about the news coming from the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the newly built indoor theatre next to Shakespeare’s Globe. The first season, starting in 2014, will feature drama, opera and live music in its candlelit interior. The first shows will be Jacobean tragedy The Duchess of Malfi, Francis Beaumont’s anarchic comedy The Knight Of The Burning Pestle, the satirical The Malcontent, performed by the Globe’s Young Players, and Cavalli’s rarely performed opera L’Ormindo. There’ll also be music from Grammy Award-winning guitarist John Williams.

Talking about the venue’s first season, Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole says, “We could not be more delighted than to be opening this theatre with three such shining jewels from this time: a macabre tragedy, a riotous comedy and a beautiful philosophical satire. We hope that the Wanamaker Playhouse will afford as many insights, and prove as theatrically rejuvenating, as the Globe has proved over the last 16 years.”

London Theatre Cast News

• Charity Wakefield, Honeysuckle Weeks and Alec Newman will star in the UK premiere of Melanie Marnich’s These Shining Lives at the new Park Theatre in Finsbury Park from 8 May
• Imelda Staunton and Toby Jones join forces in the Royal Court’s latest Theatre Local scheme this summer. The pair will perform in Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation at the Rose Lipman Building in Haggerston from 5 July
• Lesley Manville will take on the role of Helene Alving in Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts at the Almeida Theatre from September, alongside Will Keen and Jack Lowden
• Finally, our first piece of news about Christmas! Steven Webb returns to the Lyric Hammersmith to star in the pantomime Jack And The Beanstalk from 23 November

Hick said, “Jane and I had been discussing taking Amy and Meagan to see their first West End show, and we thought Billy Elliot would be perfect. It is a real testimony to how magical this show is that so many people have been through the doors to see it.”

Elsewhere in the West End, Thriller – Live has been celebrating its success with a booking extension: you can now see the musical based on the songs of Michael Jackson at the Lyric Theatre until March 2014.

Ahead of the forthcoming Olivier Awards, there’s been another win for London theatre. Ayad Akhtar’s Disgraced, which opens at the Bush Theatre next month, has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Akhtar’s first ever stage play, Disgraced charts the story of a successful corporate lawyer who is about to land the promotion of his life. But, as the play progresses, it’s clear that this success has come at a price. Talking about his win, Akhtar said, “It’s tough to put it into words what an honour and privilege it is to receive this award. I think I might be dreaming.”

Finally, two transfers have been announced this week. The Two’s Company production of London Wall, a play about an office manager and his unsolicited advances towards his new teenage typist transfers to the St James Theatre from 7 May. And fast-paced new comedy The Play That Goes Wrong transfers to the Trafalgar Studios from 30 April. It’s presented by Mischief Theatre, a company specialising in comedy writing.

London Theatre Cast News

• Harriet Thorpe returns to Wicked next week to step into the role of Madame Morrible after Louise Plowright had to leave the show due to ill health. Thorpe takes on the role from 22 April to 16 November
• The Wire star Clarke Peters makes his Hampstead Theatre debut in May in David Mamet’s politically charged drama Race
• Broadway star Seth Numrich will make his London stage debut in Sweet Bird of Youth at the Old Vic opposite Kim Cattrall in June
• Anna-Jane Casey joins the cast of hit West End show Billy Elliot next month when the show welcomes a host of new faces including Kevin Wathen, Howard Crossley and Alexander Loxton
• Daniel Radcliffe will be joined by a strong Irish cast for the forthcoming The Cripple Of Inishmaan, including Ingrid Craigie, Pádraic Delaney, Sarah Greene, Gillian Hanna, Gary Lilburn, Conor MacNeill, Pat Shortt and June Watson
• London theatre regular John Light joins Olivier Award-winning actress Michelle Terry in the forthcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe