The Lion King subtitled performance
It was the first day of school for us this week after a wonderful, even if wet, break. We had a fantastic vacation, with plenty of baking, bike riding, and even swimming. We also made a trip to London for afternoon tea. We enjoyed afternoon tea with family members on the South Bank, met up with our friends in the Horniman Museum, found the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, and hung around with the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum. The top of our itinerary was going to the Lyceum Theatre to see The Lion King!
Sybil, along with me, was fortunate enough to get tickets for this subdued show. We also took Francis and Adam with us. We’d never taken our children to a show that was long before, so I was concerned about whether they’d be able to stay still during the 2.5-hour performance. I had a large bag of food and attempted to prep them as thoroughly as I could for what they could be expecting. We’d watched the trailers and played the music, and I’d reassured Francis (several times) that they were going to be a stage show with actors on stage, not real animals! It’s a good thing that the Lion King show website also contains a video story as well as an informational synopsis for sensory that are very helpful instruments for preparing children for what may be a frightening experience.
We enjoyed incredible chairs in the aisles as well as on both ends of the stage; some screens showed the subtitles. We purchased seats with boosters for Sybil as well as Francis to ensure they had to have as clear a view from the stage as possible. I’d highly suggest them for kids since these gorgeous old structures often weren’t built for children.
At home, we always have subtitles on, and Sybil depends heavily on captioning, so having the chance to watch the show with captions was a great idea and made it accessible to Sybil.
The captions were great, and I did not fall behind in the speech and singing. They were well-placed and not intrusive, yet allowing viewers to read them as they watched the action on stage. I asked Sybil whether she used them, and she replied that she had.
The performance itself was incredible. I’m not sure if I can accurately express how thrilling, engaging, and entertaining it was! The costumes were amazing, the performance was breathtaking, and the energy was electrifying. In the first music, Circle of Life, the animals strolled through the aisles in front of Sybil, and the look on her face was incredible! There was no need to worry about my children being bored because there was no way of doing this. They were thrilled, like Adam and me. We felt as if we’d been on an emotional rollercoaster at the end!
We’re thinking about our next trip to the theater, and we’ll be sure to look for performances with captions. My only complaint is that there aren’t many performances that are accessible, but I hope that this will change in the near future.
