The Lion King comes to Birmingham

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Gugwana Dlamini, who plays Rafiki in the current Lion King production will continue to play the role in Birmingham Credit: Disney

The multi-award-winning Lion King stage production is coming to Birmingham.

The musical will run at the Birmingham Hippodrome in June and is one of the biggest shows to come to the city.

The Lion King has been running for more than 15 years, having first opened in 1997 in Minnesota. It first came to the UK in 1999.

Today, Stephen Crocker from Disney Theatrical talked the audience through the challenges of bringing the animated classic to the stage.

The Lion King remains one of the best selling films of all time Credit: Disney

The audience was made up of local business people and children.

The Lion King remains one of the top 20 grossing films of all time. Rendering it into a stage musical took "time, technology and a lot of creativity," said Mr. Crocker.

The elaborate costumes are at the heart of the production's success Credit: Disney

He explained how the elaborate costumes are at the heart of the production's success, the designs make no attempt to conceal the presence of actors; rather they are incorporated into the portrayals of the animals using masks and puppetry.

200,000 tickets for the Birmingham tour will go on sale from tomorrow. The show opens in June 2013.