A history of Disney musicals in the West End

In honour of Hercules premiering at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, here’s your breakdown of every Disney musical ever to hit the West End stage

Hercules begins previews at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Friday 6 June, the latest Disney sensation to make its way to the West End stage. Having premiered in New York in 2019, the show based on the 1997 film looks set to be the theatrical event of the summer. Disney have a pretty stellar record when it comes to bringing their stories to life on stage – in honour of Hercules, here’s a brief history of Disney musicals in the West End.

Beauty and the Beast

The first ever Disney musical to hit the West End, Beauty and the Beast opened at the Dominion Theatre in April 1997, running until December 1999. Featuring all eight songs from the film, the musical also introduced additional songs, most notably ‘Human Again’, which had been scrapped from the original film due to time constraints. The show was a great first outing for Disney in London, winning Best New Musical at the 1998 Olivier Awards, and boasting some prominent names during its run, including Michelle Gayle, John Barrowman and Norman Rossington.

Beauty and the Beast returned to the West End in 2022, playing a limited run at the London Palladium from 24 June to 17 Sept of that year. The updated revival version saw Shaq Taylor starring as the Beast and Courtney Stapleton as Belle.

The Lion King

Now a West End staple, The Lion King has been playing in London for over 25 years. Premiering at the Lyceum Theatre in October 1999, the production has run uninterrupted since, save for a hiatus during the pandemic. The show expands on the music of the film and boasts a truly unique design, creating the landscape and characters of the Serengeti through creative costuming and puppetry, and has won Oliviers for Best Theatre Choreographer and Best Costume Design. You can see The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre – find your tickets here.

Mary Poppins

The only Disney musical to have premiered in the UK, Mary Poppins had its world premiere at the Bristol Hippodrome in September 2004. It made its way to the West End in December of that year, playing at the Prince Edward Theatre until January 2008. Laura Michelle Kelly starred as the titular nanny, securing an Olivier Award for Best Actress. Among other actresses who played the role during the show’s run was Scarlett Strallen, whilst Gavin Creel took over as Bert. There was an even more exciting name to join the cast onstage, though – in March 2005, one audience got a surprise when Julie Andrews herself made an appearance during the curtain call.

Whilst Mary Poppins isn’t currently on the West End, it is playing at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford until 29 June. Find tickets here.

Aladdin

After Mary Poppins left in 2008, there was quite a long wait until another Disney show arrived on the West End. In June 2016, however, Aladdin arrived at the Prince Edward Theatre, where it played until April 2019. The show starred former Sugababes member Jade Louise Ewan as Jasmine, alongside Dean John-Wilson and Trevor Dion Nicholas. During Aladdin’s run, 1,361 performances were given, and the show was seen by over 2 million people.

Frozen

In September 2021, after delays due to the COVID pandemic, Frozen finally hit the stage. The show premiered at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where it played until 8 September 2024 – exactly three years after its premiere date. The film’s score was expanded to include more original songs for the stage version, most notably ‘Monster’, an Elsa solo that became a flagship song for the musical. The London production saw Samantha Barks star as Elsa opposite Stephanie McKeon as Anna. The show was watched by over 2.8 million people during its time at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, but if you weren’t won of them, don’t worry – Disney has announced that a filmed version of the stage show will be released to Disney+ on 20 June.

Newsies

Based on the 1992 musical film, which itself is based on the real life newsboys strike of 1899 in New York City, Newsies made its Broadway debut in 2012. Its West End debut wouldn’t come until a decade later, in December 2022, when the show arrived at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. An immersive, in the round reimagining, the show won an Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer. It played until July 2023.

Hercules

Bringing us up to date, Hercules will begin previews on 6 June at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with its official opening night set for 24 June. Starring Luke Brady as Hercules and Trevor Dion Nicholas as Phil, the show will also welcome Mae Ann Jorolan, who currently plays Meg in the Hamberg production and will be revising her role. Featuring all the fan-favourite music by Alan Menken and David Zippel, Hercules will follow the young hero as he prepares to save the world from Hades, and learns there’s more to being a hero than what meets the eye… Make sure to secure your tickets now.