On a cold, wet and wintry evening the thought of being transported to the heat and summer sun of the African savannah seemed an appealing prospect – even more when you add the majesty of The Lion King.

The Disney musical has been touring the globe for over a decade and is currently running at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. Even if you have seen the musical before there is always something new to experience. For those who have yet to be enthralled with the Disney magic, expect to witness a show that really is the king of musicals.

At its heart is the powerful and moving story of Simba and his journey from wide-eyed cub to his destined role as King of the Pridelands though there are a few upsets along the way such as his evil Uncle Scar who wants to be the King.

As the evening opened with a parade of animals walking down the aisles, it felt like this was going to be no ordinary show, and it certainly was not to be – when you have the expertise of the Disney puppeteers to hand the idea of having over 200 puppets throughout the show does not seem too unimaginable.

Thandezile Soni as Rafiki is part storyteller and singer whose humour and vocal ability was one of the natural highlights of this fast paced show. Wise and loveable you wanted to hang on to every word she said – even if some of those were in a foreign south African language!

Although he only appears in the first half of the musical, Jean-Luc Guizonne is compelling and imposing as Simba’s father, Mufasa. He commanded the stage and demanded your attention with a regal air.

Kyle Richardson as the grown-up Simba developed from an innocent young lion to a worldly wise one – and ultimately the King.

Like a pantomime baddie Richard Hurst as the wicked Scar brought a darker side to the stage his dark cynicism and jealously appeared to grow throughout making him even more disliked and loathed.

The comic duo of Timon, the wise cracking Meercat played by Alan McHale and Pumbaa the Warthog portrayed by Carl Sanderson, brought a Laurel and Hardy comedic touch to the show but always on hand to look after the young Simba.

With a youthful energy, Matthew Forbes, Zazu – an uptight Hornbill - introduced the art of puppetry with ease.

Songs such as He Lives In You, Hakuna Matata and the more famously known Can You Feel The Love were strongly performed by this talented cast. The duets between Nokwanda Khuzwayo as Nala and Simba were hypnotic in their powerful and soulful delivery.

The simple stage set allowed the characters and especially the lighting of the sunlight of the southern hemisphere, to come to life – nothing else was required otherwise it would have detracted away from the central characters.

For all the glossy and colourful action on stage underneath it all was a story of self-doubt, grief, betrayal, responsibility and being strong through times of hardship – things which everyone can relate to, however, you will leave the theatre with a feeling of hope and strength which The Lion King installs in you.

A roaring success and one that I cannot wait to see again. Allow yourself to leave your worries behind - at least for two hours in this dazzling show of Disney perfection.