A schoolboy from Wallington could soon be given pride of place in the smash-hit West End production of the Lion King.

Tyrone Mulholland-Davis, nine, is training for the role of the young Simba in the stage musical at the Lyceum Theatre.

Over the next three months he will join other potential cast members in receiving special coaching at the Lion King Cub School.

His father Ulysses, 48, said: “When Tyrone came out of the audition he told us it had been easy and that he was bound to get through.

“I thought ‘yeah, right’, but he has been proved right.

“He is very excited, just to reach this stage is a fantastic achievement, although it is a bit of a headache for us trying to get him up to west London.”

Tyrone trained for six years in dance, drama and singing at the Stagecoach school in Sutton and becomes its 22nd student to pass a West End audition.

Rachel Crouch, principal of the school, said: “We put Tyrone up for the Lion King Cub School as he had the perfect look and is extremely talented."

“It was his very first West End audition and it was tough but his talent and perfect look gained him the place.

For information about places at Stagecoach schools, based at Carshalton High School for Girls and Overton Grange School in Sutton, call 0208 660 7753.

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