Karim Zeroual stars in Madagascar - The Musical touring to Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

Alex the lion is the king of the urban jungle, the main attraction at New York's Central Park Zoo. He and his best friends – Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo – have spent their whole lives in blissful captivity before an admiring public and with regular meals provided for them. Not content to leave well enough alone, Marty lets his curiosity get the better of him and makes his escape – with the help of some prodigious penguins – to explore the world. The escapees find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar.

King Julien is played by Karim Zeroual who is sure to be a popular choice with families who have watched him on CBBC, hosting BBC Young Dancer and Wimbledon Live and competing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2019 when his partner was Amy Dowden.

Karim said: “I’m really excited, I love the film dearly, it’s one of my favourites. King Julien is such an iconic character I’m looking forward to getting down and ‘winding my body!’ to Move it Move it! Theatre is actually my one true love. I trained at theatre school and started my career in the West End. I’ve been doing a lot of TV recently so coming back to theatre feels like coming home. There’s nothing like a live audience in front of you. I really can’t wait”.

Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and those hilarious, plotting penguins in the adventure of a lifetime at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre from May 22 to 25, 2024.

Tickets from £15, go to www.sheffieldtheatres or call 0114 249 6000.