Disney's Hercules and The Lion King announce West End extensions
Published on 17 November 2025
Two Disney shows are going the distance in London’s West End: Hercules and The Lion King have both extended their runs, with Hercules playing until 18 July 2026, and The Lion King running until 1 November 2026.
Although it’s new to the West End, Hercules has been XXXXVXIIIX years in the making, so it’s only fair that it gets more time to shine at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The demigod’s story is timeless, but the production itself - directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw (with Tanisha Scott) - is very much of the moment. It features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by David Zippel, and a brand-new book by Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah.
On top of its extension news, it was also announced that Leslie Beehann will join the cast as Calliope (one of the marvellous Muses). From 8 December she’ll perform alongside the current gang of divas; Candace Furbert, Sharlene Hector, Brianna Ogunbawo and Robyn Rose-Li.
Demand for the show has been as strong as the cast's vocals, so this gives everyone an extra opportunity to catch the new musical before it heads to Mount Olympus. And speaking of vocals, the West End album is officially being released in multiple formats (great for Christmas presents, no matter their preference) with digital available now, and CD and vinyl coming on 21 November and 5 December respectively.
Meanwhile, The Lion King continues to roar at the Lyceum Theatre, reaffirming its status as the king of the j̶u̶n̶g̶l̶e̶ West End. This milestone comes not long after the show celebrated its 10,000th performance, underscoring the enduring power of Julie Taymor’s visionary staging and the score by Elton John and Tim Rice. Globally, more than 110 million people have witnessed The Lion King since its very first performance in 1997. The musical has won over 70 awards worldwide, including six Tony Awards, and holds the prestigious title of the ‘most successful stage production of all time’, having recently surpassed Phantom of the Opera in worldwide box office revenue.
