Disney's The Lion King has been revealed as Britain's favourite musical, with nearly one in five Brits (18%) choosing it, according to a new survey. The West End blockbuster beat long-standing favourites Mamma Mia! (16%) and Grease (15%).
Survey findings
The findings were released by Marella Cruises, TUI's cruise line, ahead of the launch of its first-ever musical-themed cruise, Musical Med-leys. The Sound of Music (11%), Wicked (10%) and Matilda (10%) also featured prominently in the rankings.
The Lion King has been running in the West End since 1999 and is Britain's most-watched musical, with one in four (25%) having seen it live on stage.
Favourite songs
When it comes to the songs Britain loves most, ABBA leads the way. Dancing Queen (14%) topped the rankings, ahead of Mamma Mia (13%), Circle of Life (13%) and We Will Rock You (13%).
Musicals have become part of everyday British life. One in four regularly listen to musical soundtracks at home, and the same number confess to belting out show tunes while doing housework. More than one in five (22%) sing them in the shower, while 23% have listened to the same soundtrack on repeat for weeks.
Theatre-going habits
Despite this enthusiasm, most Britons are occasional theatre-goers, with almost a quarter (23%) attending less than once a year. Just 7% go to a musical every month.
Given the chance to spend a year working in musical theatre, 15% would choose to work backstage, while 14% dream of becoming a West End lead performer. Another 14% would join the entertainment cast aboard a cruise ship.
Musical Med-leys cruise
It is this enduring love that inspired Marella Cruises to launch Musical Med-leys, the cruise line's first sailing dedicated entirely to musicals. The five-night cruise aboard Marella Voyager will feature live performances and appearances from West End stars Zoe Birkett, Lee Mead and Jenna Lee-James, who will also take part in Q&A sessions with guests.
The entertainment line-up reflects Britain's favourite musicals. Frozen ranked seventh in the nation's favourite productions (10%), while Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (6%) and The Tina Turner Musical (5%) also featured.
Their signature songs proved popular too, with Let It Go named Britain's joint third favourite musical song (13%), while Any Dream Will Do and Proud Mary both made the top 20.
West End star Zoe Birkett said: "The magic of musical theatre is that it stays with you long after the curtain comes down. The songs become part of your everyday life, the stories never leave you, and every audience shares something special together. It's wonderful to see just how passionate Britain remains about musical theatre, and I can't wait to help bring that same excitement to guests aboard Musical Med-leys."
Britain's favourite musicals
- The Lion King – 18%
- Mamma Mia! – 16%
- Grease – 15%
- The Sound of Music – 11%
- Wicked – 10%
- Matilda – 10%
- We Will Rock You – 9%
- Mary Poppins – 9%
- Les Misérables – 8%
- The Phantom of the Opera – 8%
Britain's favourite musical songs
- Dancing Queen (Mamma Mia!) – 14%
- Mamma Mia (Mamma Mia!) – 13%
- Circle of Life (The Lion King) – 13%
- Let It Go (Frozen) – 13%
- We Will Rock You (We Will Rock You) – 13%
- Hakuna Matata (The Lion King) – 12%
- You're The One That I Want (Grease) – 12%
- The Winner Takes It All (Mamma Mia!) – 11%
- Time Warp (The Rocky Horror Show) – 9%
- Defying Gravity (Wicked) – 8%
