The Lion King stage show hits Sunderland

The highest grossing production of all time, The Lion King, is in Sunderland as part of its tour of the UK and Ireland. The musical has been running on Broadway since 1997 and has made over £3.8billion.

The legendary show, based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, will begin September 23 and will play a 7-week season in the city as part of its sell-out tour, which has broken records in every city it has visited.

It is the largest theatre production ever to perform at the Empire Theatre, bringing an international cast of 52 performers from 18 different countries to the stage.

The acclaimed stage adaptation of Disney’s 1994 animated film will celebrate its 17th anniversary later this year. Over 75 million people across five continents have now seen the production.

It won six 1998 Tony awards and has earned more than 70 major arts awards, including a Grammy. The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s music from The Lion King animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice.