Disneys Lion King is the most amazing theatrical experience to be had in the West End.

It makes the movie look like a dull kids fantasy. A mixture of miraculous costumes, masks, puppetry and memorable musical numbers, the stage version makes for a fantastic evening of family fun.

Brian Temba as Simba, the rightful ruler of Pride Rock, has the perfect mixture of athletic grace and innocence. While his voice on the light side, his physical presence is every inch a king. Every hero needs a baddie and James Simmons as Scar, Simba’s evil uncle and enemy of Simba’s father Mufasa, makes a terrific antagonist with his frightening mask and claws.

And then there is Tony award-winning Julie Taymor's direction. Colourful, visually exciting and fast-paced, she creates a marvellous theatrical spectacle.

My daughters, aged 10 and 8, were enthralled from the opening scene, when a huge orange sun dominated the stage and a procession of life-sized animals walked down the aisles.

The essence of each animal was conveyed in a very skilful and artistic way, for example we could see the actor within each leg of the magnificent eleven foot elephant, and the leggy awkwardness of the giraffe was neatly evoked by performers on stilts.

While musical revivals like Grease, which opened in the West End last week, provide an enjoyable dose of dramatic nostalgia, the Lion King – eight years on – still stands out for its inventiveness, theatricality and the sheer quality of its performers.

The Lion King is, truly, king of the jungle! This view was enthusiastically endorsed by my daughters who said, “I give it five stars!” and “Can we see it again, please?”

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