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Original poster

Would you take 2 4yr11m old girls to watch The Lion King in the West End?

37 replies

DaffodilDandilion · 01/02/2022 17:03

We’ve done pantos and the cinema. Planning a trip to London and wondering if they’re old enough to enjoy the theatre yet? My gut says yes but it could be a rather expensive experiment…

OP posts:
CannaeRemember · 01/02/2022 17:08

I wouldn't take an under-5 to the Lion King - fantastic show though it is. It's very different to a panto where there's audience participation to keep the little uns involved. Like you say, it's an expensive experiment where you could find that you miss out on part of the show if you have to take them out of the auditorium if they get bored and/or whiny. Or, probably worse, you ruin it for the people around you if you don't take them out when bored/whiny. Go to one of the fancy cinemas in London as a treat instead.

BridStar · 01/02/2022 17:09

Toddlers will wriggle, talk, want a bit of a wander and be completely bored by very long theatre performances.

Sirzy · 01/02/2022 17:10

It’s not recommended for under 6s so I wouldn’t

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Original poster
DaffodilDandilion · 01/02/2022 17:11

Alas, I think you’re right!

OP posts:
sparkycats · 01/02/2022 17:15

I took my dd when she was 4. She loved it. She did get bored at times so we had lots of snacks and she shifted laps from me to DH to her chair a few times. We had a great time though and she was interested pretty much throughout.

WellTidy · 01/02/2022 17:18

I wouldn’t. Ds1 absolutely loved all theatre, but I don’t think I’d have taken him to anything but a panto this young. At that age I think I was just taking hi to local productions of The Tiger Who Came To Tea and the Julia Donaldson productions (which are about an hour or so long) and the local panto. I think he may have been 7yo actually when I first took him to the west end.

YellowLemonshade · 01/02/2022 17:18

I saw it recently and there were lots of families with very small children in the audience (Sunday matinee). Many children fidgeted, stood up, talked, needed a wee/drink/explanation all the way through. The atmosphere in the theatre had the feel of a pantomime.
So if you decide it's a 'yes' I'd go for one of those daytime performances - out of courtesy to more adult theatre-goers!
Tickets are expensive and it's hard to blame people who may have paid £70+ for a seat who get irritated by your youngsters yelling 'Daddy, it's Simba!' every 2 minutes Grin

EatingGreens · 01/02/2022 17:18

My rule of thumb is 7.
My only exception would be for the unusual child who seemed very keen and focussed on that particular story.

WellTidy · 01/02/2022 17:20

We went to see Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre in the summer. It was absolutely superb. There were grandparents sittings next to me who had taken their granddaughter, who was five. She really enjoyed what she saw but they had to leave not long after the start of the second act as she had lost all concentration and was loudly demanding to go home. The seats were £100+ Shock

ranoutofquinoaandprosecco · 01/02/2022 17:21

We did when ours were just under 3 and 5 they both loved it.

SleepingStandingUp · 01/02/2022 17:22

@BridStar

Toddlers will wriggle, talk, want a bit of a wander and be completely bored by very long theatre performances.
They're not toddlers. They're a month off their 5th birthday. They're in full time school.

Op could you see if there's somewhere local that's got a kids theatre production on? So shorter and less formal, but it'll give you a good idea at their ability to sit still? I'm still only taking DS to shows aimed at kids at 6.5 because he lacks focus and stillness

Chocolateis1ofyour5aday · 01/02/2022 17:42

How long is the performance? My 5yearold nephew loved the first half of a show I took him to but wanted to go home in the interval as it was definitely too long for him to concentrate and sit still. Wish Id chosen something shorter at the cinema Wink

gogohm · 01/02/2022 17:47

I've taken mine to the theatre since they were babies (my local theatre had a sound proof room at the back of the stalls with speakers so nobody gets cross!) and classical concerts too. First west end was at 3&5. Know your kids, some can cope with sitting still and not talking nor joining in, others cannot (ditto if taking your granny/great aunt etc my last trip to see les mis had an out of tune echo!)

KilmordenCastle · 01/02/2022 17:49

I went to see it a couple of months ago and so wished I had dd (6) with me at the time. But......thinking back on it, she is too young for it. She would have lost concentration and it would have been too long for her and a waste of money. I might take her this year but tbh it will probably be next year.

I think 4 (even if nearly 5) is too young.

ExtremelyDelighted · 01/02/2022 18:00

If it takes snacks, changing seats and whispering to keep them quiet then please don't.

itwasntaparty · 01/02/2022 18:07

It's a lot of money if they don't like it! Not quite the same but we took DTs to the Rainforest cafe when they were three, they were terrified, as were lots of other kids, howling when the thunder started etc. Cost a bloody fortune too.

I'd wait. We have seen Matilda, Lion King, Joseph but they were 6+ then and loved it.

museumum · 01/02/2022 18:11

I agree they’re s bit young for lion king, though not for a child specific theatre show - mine went to things like “we’re going on a bear hunt” from age 2/3.
But I can’t believe someone up thread is calling them toddlers!! I wouldn’t even call a 3yr old a toddler!

Heroicghosts · 01/02/2022 18:15

No, I would save it for when they are older, when you can all enjoy it without worrying if they will be bored.

And I would do one of these things instead:

thetravelhack.com/uk/things-to-do-in-london-with-kids/

minipie · 01/02/2022 18:17

No, too long.

There are lots of shows based on Julie Donaldson books (with songs etc added), those would be perfect IMO and are shorter. Not sure which ones are running at the moment.

museumum · 01/02/2022 18:18

Try one of these instead maybe? kiddoadventures.com/2021/12/31/whats-on-family-theatre-2022/

HandWash · 01/02/2022 18:19

I think it would be a bit of a struggle. I took my 8&6yo to see Mary Poppins in the summer.

-8yo loved every second of it.
-6yo was falling asleep during the second half, but did spring awake for the ending!

We've been to loads of shows aimed at children though The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Stickman, The Gruffalo, Room on a Broom etc. All fantastic shows!

minipie · 01/02/2022 18:19

Zog and the Flying Doctors in Kingston

The Singing Mermaid in Wimbledon

Cuddlemuffin · 01/02/2022 18:21

I took my 4yo to Frozen and she loved it (apart from the interval!) It was a great intro to musical theatre and lots of young chn there thoroughly enjoying it. However Lion King, although brilliant, is less geared towards an audience below 6/7 I would say. Unless your 4yos are completely obsessed with The Lion King movie in which case they'd be fine x

Kanaloa · 01/02/2022 18:23

Just totally depends. My oldest daughter I could absolutely have taken to a play at age 4/5 and she would have sat quietly the entire play with no need for multiple snacks/wandering/shifting around/talking.

My other three, absolutely no chance until they were older. Even youngest dd6 I wouldn’t take to a long theatre production unless the seats were free as I think there’s a good chance she’d get bored.

So I think it’s dependent on the child totally. Some children will go and enjoy it, some won’t.