Announcing The Lion King JR show at NCT
Welcome to The Lion King JR! The timeless story of Disney’s The Lion King – which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year – will roar to life in Gauteng as part of a new collaboration between National Children’s Theatre and Disney Theatrical Group later in November-December. NCT will stage The Lion King JR, Disney’s Junior production of the internationally celebrated musical, with a cast of 50 young learners. This will be the first time the Junior production is performed in South Africa!
Journey with us through the African savanna – from Pride Rock to the jungle and back again – and meet Simba, Rafiki and an unforgettable cast of characters who will perform classic songs including “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” and “Hakuna Matata.” Experience the magic and value of friendship, family and responsibility as we find our place in the Circle of Life.
This show is perfect for the whole family and schools!
When: Only on 9, 10, 16, 24, 29 November and 1, 6, 7 8 December 2024, at 11:30 and 14:00
Where: National Children’s Theatre, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown 2193
Ages: The whole family, and especially 7 and up
Schools: Please call Lebo at NCT at 011 484 1584 or email Lebo@NCTheatreSA.org.
Announcing The Hobbit at NCT, our Naledi winner
The Hobbit is a children’s fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim and remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children’s literature. NCT’s one-hour version is a suspenseful, fast-moving journey through Middle Earth by the home-loving hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. When Gandalf the Wizard knocks at Bilbo’s door, bringing with him Thorin Oakenshield, 11 ragged looking dwarfs, and a contract for an adventure to recover the lost treasure of Lonely Mountain guarded by Smaug, the dragon, Bilbo could not be less interested—at first. But Bilbo’s love of a good story gets the better of him, and before he knows it, he’s off on a perilous quest over a mountain and under hill through caves and forests until the final resolution and success, not only for Bilbo but for all of the Hobbits who inhabit Middle Earth—and the hearts of those children and adults who continue to enjoy this special kind of magic and adventure.
When: 14 September to 6 October 2024
Where: National Children’s Theatre, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown, 2193
Ages: Age 7 and up
School Bookings: Please call Lebo at NCT at 011 484 1584 or email Lebo@nctheatresa.org.za
Shifting Moira Katz & Eleonore Godfroy
After 10 years of steering NCT’s growth and ambition as CEO, and completion of our rebranding effort, Moira Katz has a new and vital role: In this iteration, Moira’s vision and expertise will be accessed through her new role as NCTT Board Director for Special Projects. Day-to-day oversight will now be in the warm and capable hands of Eleonore Godfroy, NCT’s new CEO (and former longtime Trustee).
Passionate about the arts, making a difference and living consciously, Eleonore has been involved in the creative and marketing industries for the past 20 years. Before establishing herself in Johannesburg in 2006, Eleonore started her professional career in London where she worked at Christie’s auction house, and Sadler’s Wells, London’s leading dance organisation. On arrival in South Africa, Eleonore joined the FNB Dance Umbrella team, and spent 7 years at the French Institute of South Africa. She is delighted to join National Children’s Theatre as the CEO and hopes to continue the work done by Moira Katz and Joyce Levinsohn to transform children’s lives through theatre.
Announcing NCT's partnership with Disney!
The timeless story of Disney’s The Lion King will roar to life at NCT in late 2024 as part of a new collaboration between National Children’s Theatre (NCT) and Disney Theatrical Group (DTG). NCT will stage The Lion King Jr, Disney’s Junior production of the internationally celebrated musical, which will be the first time the Junior production is performed in South Africa. This show is the culmination of NCT’s education initiative “Musical Theatre in Schools”. which has seen facilitators from NCT and DTG work closely with five primary schools in Gauteng over the last three months. Together they have delivered life skills, creative curriculum, training and inspiration to teachers and learners to ensure that the skills and ideas generated by the programme are transferred to the school teams and the benefits felt for years to come. Now select learners from each of the five schools, together with NCT’s Saturday Workshop learners, are forming a new youth theatre company at NCT. They will rehearse and perform The Lion King Jr which will premiere at NCT in early November 2024. In addition, NCT’s youth theatre company will learn a wide range of new theatrical skills, including mask-making and puppetry, widening their exposure to the world of musical theatre.
