Karim Zeroual will lead cast as King Julien in smash-hit family favourite Madagascar

Popular TV presenter, theatre performer and Strictly finalist Karim Zeroual leads the cast of the new tour of Madagascar The Musical as the hilarious King Julien when the show comes to Royal & Derngate. This smash-hit family favourite will take to the Derngate stage from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 July.

Karim Zeroual is a television presenter and theatre performer best known for anchoring CBBC and reaching the final of Strictly Come Dancing in 2019. In television he has hosted BBC’s Young Dancer of the Year and BBC Four’s Dance Passion, and in 2020, he presented BBC Bitesize, educating the nation’s children during lockdown. No stranger to the stage, Karim’s West End performances include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Lion King and Here Come The Boys.

Karim said of playing King Julien: “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”.

Based on the smash hit DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar – The Musical follows all of your favourite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar.

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.

Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime. Filled with outlandish characters, adventure galore and an upbeat score, you’ll have no choice but to “Move It, Move It!”

This wacky adventure for the whole family is brought to life as a co-production with Theatre Royal Plymouth and Selladoor Worldwide.

Madagascar The Musical can be seen at Royal & Derngate from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 July, with performances at 6pm on Thursday and Friday, at 2pm and 6pm on Saturday, and 11am and 5pm on Sunday. Tickets priced from £17* can be booked by calling Box Office on 01604 624811 or online at www.royalandderngate.co.uk.

* A non-refundable £4 per-transaction fee applies for bookings of £20 and over. Does not apply to Groups, Members and Access Patrons.