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Brett's Zazu Masterclass

To celebrate Disney's The Lion King coming to Manchester's Palace Theatre, I was lucky enough to tread the stage boards and undertake a "Zazu Masterclass" from the man behind the hornbill - Matthew Forbes.

Since I was a kid, The Lion King has long been one of my favourite films - Zazu, Timone, Pumba - three characters I remember being obsessed with as a child - and still hold affection for well in to adulthood - so I was delighted that the stage adaptation would be coming to our doorstep for a four month run - recently extended due to such a great, and deserved, reception.

Matthew Forbes brings to life a Zazu that stays true to the original with hilariously relevant gags littered throughout - and the one character I just had to get a masterclass in playing was Zazu - here's how I got on when Gaydio sent me down to the Palace Theatre:

Like the film, the show begins with Thandazile Soni's Rafiki belting the introduction we're all so familiar with before a Zoo's worth of puppet animals descend through the gangways to the stage - overwhelming in the best way possible, it was a spectacle.

Stunning vocals, over 200 amazing puppets and sets that felt like a feast for the eyes - it really felt like stepping back in time, gazing in wonder like a child as the theatre magically turned into the Pride lands.