South Africa’s Phindile Ndlovu on ‘great honour’ of featuring in Lion King musical in Paris

As one of the most renowned and well-loved musicals, auditioning for “The Lion King” seemed somewhat out of reach for Phindile Ndlovu. “I thought ‘maybe it’s too big for me, maybe they won’t take me’,” she tells FRANCE 24. Ultimately, though, the South African native went on to play Rafiki — the shaman of the Pride Lands — in both the Spanish and French versions of the production. “I think I’m the only person in my family who actually got to be an artist and go outside of South Africa,” she says. The musical is now playing at the Mogador Theatre in Paris, and Ndlovu says she is adapting well to French life: “I love the country, I’m loving the people, obviously.” She says what makes “The Lion King” special is its broad appeal, promising to “captivate” audiences of all ages.