Being Scar and Zazu in the Lion King

I talk to George Asprey, who plays the evil lion Scar and Gary Jordan, who plays the wisecracking bird Zazu in the London production of the Lion King.

They talk to me about:

• How after leaving the army George went to LAMDA and after graduating started doing musicals as a dancer (despite not being a dancer!).
• George stood in for Kenneth Branagh on set when Kenneth directed the film Frankenstein.
• Gary was the voice-over for Tang and Mr. Granite on CBBC's ZingZillas - and also for a Japanese Playstation football video game!
• George's disaster moment when in the musical Chicago.
• What they had to do for their Lion King audition - George didn't have to wear a tail, but Gary did have to fly around the room!
• Why George thinks Scar is the greatest baddie Disney ever created.
• How they developed their animal characters by watching real animals move and behave - and why George thinks of snakes and spiders (not just lions).
• What the Lion King's "double event" is.
• Why there's a little bit of each Lion King actors' own personality in the animal characters they portray on stage.
• Scar's backstory (according to George) - why George feels sorry for him, what made Scar go bad?
• Why Zazu knows he won't get eaten by Scar (he hopes)!
• What's it like in hair and make-up.
• And lots of top-tips about how to work with puppets.

No animals were hurt in the making of this Podcast.

GEORGE AND GARY'S LOCKDOWN CHALLENGE!

Video yourself performing these lines from the show as either Scar or Zazu:

Scar: Oh Zazu. Zazu Zazu Zazu.
Zazu: Yes sire?
Scar: Nobody loved me there’s the rub, not even as a cub. What did my brother have that I don’t have?
Zazu: Do you want the short list - or the long?
Scar: Whatever.
Zazu: Well he had adoring subjects, a loving family, an adoring Queen.....
Scar: That’s it, I need a queen!
Zazu: A what?
Scar: A queen man a queen! Without a queen what am I? A dead end. No descendants, no line, no future. With the Queen I’ll have.... cubs.

Make sure you've listened to all the advice and top tips from George and Gary in the Podcast before you record it. And get your mum/dad/sibling to read in the other part if you need to!

Send your video to: spotlightvideos2020@gmail.com
CLOSING DATE: 6th June 2020
George and Gary's decision is final.

The winners will do an online musical theatre workshop with George and Gary; and they'll be recorded performing lines from the show with them. Each winner will also get a poster from the show signed by the cast.

THANK YOU GEORGE AND GARY - AND GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!