As a child of the 90s I developed an unhealthy obsession with The Lion King movie, getting swept away by its magic time and time again.

With this Disney masterpiece holding a firm place in my heart I’d always been sceptical of going to see the musical.

I accept this is somewhat crazy seeing as it has reached its eleventh successful year at London’s Lyceum Theatre and is the best selling show of 2010.

And, oh, how wrong I was to be worried.

Never in my life have I watched a more moving, enchanting and powerful stage show.

All the beauty of the 1994 film is present in every second of this breathtaking extravaganza.

Set in the Serengeti Plains of Africa, one of the first scenes sees the entire stage overtaken by countless animals including giraffes, elephant, antelope and exotic birds gathering to welcome lion cub Simba into the world.

And when the cast all came together to belt out the iconic Circle of Life, the powerful singing and mind-blowing magnificence of the costumes brought beloved childhood memories flooding back and, yes, moved me to tears.

The bar was set extremely high right from the start and I was kept on the edge of my seat, completely enthralled by every second that followed.

One scene that particularly stuck our for me sees Simba who has been tricked by evil uncle Scar to go in search of his father Mufasa – in the path of an oncoming wildebeest stampede.

Ingenious props, lighting and tension-building music create an incredibly convincing stampede and - although we all know Simba will be alright - an overwhelming feeling of panic sets in.

Then the wildebeest have gone, silence descends and the heartbreaking moment poor Simba finds his dad has been killed trying to save him befalls us.

Convinced by Scar he murdered his father the cub flees home leaving his mother, best friend Nala and the kingdom of Pride Rock to suffer the evil reign of Scar and his demented hyenas.

But it’s not all sad.

His hilarious new pals Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meerkat show him how to relax and live the bohemian lifestyle – cue Hakuna Matata.

This funny, colourful song is the backdrop for Simba’s journey into adulthood away from his rightful place as king.

And when a grown up Nala wanders into his new territory in search of food, the couple are reunited and she tells him how desperately he is needed by his pride to defeat tyrannical Scar.

A dramatic battle ensues when Simba returns to his family - but I won’t give away the ending.

A mixture of treasured songs from the original film and newer tracks like He Lives in You from its sequel gel perfectly throughout this stunning show and with the intricate, innovative costumes, Disney could not have swept us off to Africa more convincingly.

The casting is perfect – each actor brings the tender, beautiful and powerful story to life in a way I would never imagine possible.

No wonder this show is the king of London’s West End.

More shows at thelyceumtheatre.com
Erica Love