Photo Flash: THE LION KING Donates Costumes To Victoria and Albert Museum

Stars of the smash-hit West End musical along with Thomas Schumacher, Producer of The Lion King and President of Disney Theatrical Productions and Geoffrey Marsh, Director, V&A Theatre Collections, gathered at the V&A as The Lion King costumes were unveiled to the public. The specially-created exhibit in the Theatre and Performance Galleries includes a video featuring highlights from this landmark musical and an interview with director Julie Taymor, filmed during her visit to the V&A last year. This marks the first time costumes from The Lion King have been exhibited in the UK, and they are also the first new costumes to be added to the Galleries since opening at the V&A.

The costumes were designed by acclaimed director Julie Taymor and hand-made using a variety of materials. They were donated along with the distinctive stylised masks, co-designed by Taymor and Michael Curry, which have become iconic since their creation for the original Broadway production of The Lion King in 1997.

Thomas Schumacher said "To see Julie Taymor's stunning creative vision honoured by one of the world's leading art and design museums is tremendously gratifying. It's thrilling to know that visitors to the V&A will have the opportunity to appreciate the extraordinary detail of her exquisite designs in a much more intimate way."
Julie Taymor, a director and designer of theatre, opera and film, has achieved worldwide acclaim for her innovative production of The Lion King, which combines performers, masks, puppetry, ritual and large theatrical landscapes. She was entrusted by Disney Theatrical Productions to transform the beloved 1994 animated feature film into a stage musical drawing upon her vast and varied experience of myriad theatrical styles and cultures, most prominently African tribal design and masks and Balinese puppetry and movement.

Geoffrey Marsh said, "We are delighted that we are able to show these costumes by Julie Taymor in our galleries. The Lion King is a musical that demonstrates why costume is such an important part of the theatre experience and we're pleased to be able to allow visitors the chance to see this first hand at the V&A." The costumes will be displayed alongside stage artefacts which include Laurence Olivier's costume for 1945 production of OEDIPUS REX, Maggie Smith's costume for ‘Lady Bracknell' in 1993 production of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST and Vivien Leigh's Dior-designed costume for the role of ‘Paola' in DUEL OF ANGELS.

Julie Taymor said: "As I began the creation of the costumes for The Lion King, I drew inspiration from the traditional Kuba and kente fabrics of Africa as well as various textiles from different regions of the continent. I was not only inspired by African masks from all over the continent but also by the movement and forms of African wildlife. I was able to reinterpret all of those disparate elements through my own aesthetic to create something original and unique. To have my work acknowledged by the V&A is a terrific honour and I am elated that The Lion King will now take its place in the world's preeminent museum of art and design"

The ‘Sarabi' costume features Taymor's adaptation of traditional geometric Kuba cloth along with a hand-beaded corset, which incorporates over 3000 shells, beads and stones. The ‘Scar' costume again incorporates geometric Kuba design, along with an asymmetrical bony cage structure, to represent the misshapen back of the animal.

Both characters include masks which were originally sculpted in clay by Taymor, and then cast in carbon graphite and hand-painted. The Scar mask is designed to be asymmetrical to highlight the character's warped psychology, whilst the elegant Sarabi mask is more balanced and harmonious, and includes geometric Africa patterns.

Based on the 1994 Disney animated film, The Lion King continues to reign as one of the most popular shows in London and around the world. Now in its eleventh year at the Lyceum Theatre, The Lion King has welcomed over 8 million theatre-goers and is now the ninth longest-running musical in West End history. Worldwide, more than 50 million people have seen the stage musical in 13 different countries and in five different languages.

Need more UK / West End Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Winter season, discounts & more...