The Lion King

When The Lion King made its debut in the Middle East, Showforce was thrilled to be appointed by Proactiv Entertainment to assist with the delivery of the globally renowned stage production. With Showforce’s experience in both the region and theatre industry, they were the perfect production partner for the historical four week run of shows at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi to mark its 25th anniversary.

For the set construction phase, eight sound technicians and 10 lighting technicians and 46 stage crew assisted with the load in and build. Once the show was up and running, Showforce provided 30+ people a day who were fulfilling a variety of roles within both the production and wardrobe departments. These included an international crew manager, prop assistants, stagehands, audio and lighting engineers, follow spot operators, dressers, laundry staff, costumiers and a supervisor.

Given the show’s reputation, and the importance of the lighting, sound and costumes to the overall performance, there was no margin for error and the entire Showforce team had to be at the top their game. The shows were delivered to rave reviews, with additional performances added to the run.

Proactiv Entertainment said of Showforce’s work on The Lion King: “Thank you again for leading a great Showforce team to assist us in the transfer of The Lion King into Etihad Arena. The team were on time and prepared for work each day. Throughout the world, on this five-year international tour of The Lion King, I can honestly say that the Showforce team are right up there with the best logistics team we have had. The container unloaded into storage/reloading for Etihad Arena and then unloaded at the Arena is the smoothest we have had. Each time one of us tried to assist, your team willingly and politely said ‘this is for us to do’. There were no lazy members – all were polite and willing.”

Showforce’s account manager, Ann Dacumos adds: “Being part of the team that delivered the first ever performances of The Lion King in the Middle East is something that the entire Showforce team is extremely proud of. It’s a great example of how we marry our theatrical crewing, wardrobe, prop and technical experience to deliver a turnkey solution for our clients. Having a single point of contact for all its additional personnel requirements was undoubtedly beneficial to Proactiv Entertainment.”

Once the run of shows came to an end, 46 crew assisted with the dismantling and de-rig of the stage which took three days.

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