THE LION KING - Disney.com.au

THE LION KING
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
PRINCIPALS
Josh Quong Tart (Scar)
Born and raised in Sydney, Josh graduated from NIDA in 1997. He has worked extensively in theatre and
television, most recently in the Nine Network telemovies The Great Mint Swindle, Underbelly: Badness, the
ABC comedy series The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting and US series The Starter Wife. A
descendent of prominent Chinese Australian Mei Quong Tart, Josh is best known for his long-running role as
Miles Copeland on the Seven Network series Home and Away and playing Matt Horner on All Saints. Josh
was the original host of Nickelodeon’s children’s show Sarvo. He is the youngest of four brothers and is an
accomplished singer. He and his brother Byron Tart featured alongside Genevieve Lemon in the acclaimed
cabaret show Lemon Tart in 2006 and 2007. He has also appeared in the Wharf Revue - Red Wharf, Our
Town, Troopers, Mother Courage & her Children, and The Miser for the Sydney Theatre Company, The
Mirage and La Dispute for the Directory, Rope for Tamarama Rock Surfers, Killer Joe for B Sharp, This Lime
Tree Bower for the Ensemble Theatre and Romeo and Juliet for Bell Shakespeare Company.
Rob Collins (Mufasa)
Born and raised in Darwin, Rob helped oversee the National Indigenous Music Awards since its
inception in 2004 and for the past three years has co-hosted them. He was also the National Indigenous
Representative for the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA). Rob has been studying at
NIDA since 2011 and makes his professional stage debut in THE LION KING. He played the role of
Othello at NIDA in 2012.
Buyi Zama (Rafiki)
Buyi was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. Since the age of 15 she has worked as a session singer
and backing vocalist for a number of well-known performers, including Whitney Houston and best-selling
South African artist Rebecca Malope. Based in New York, Buyi has a degree in library and information
studies but music is her abiding passion. After performing in the West End production of THE LION KING
for 18 months Buyi created the role of Rafiki in Australia, earning a 2004 Mo Award for Best Supporting
Actress in a Musical and a Best Female Actor nomination in the 2004 Helpmann Awards. She has since
performed the role of Rafiki on five continents.
Cameron Goodall (Zazu)
A graduate of Flinders Drama Centre in 2000, Cameron has worked extensively in theatre, including
for Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Brink Productions and
Queensland Theatre Company. He is a founding member of The Border Project and was a member of
STC’s permanent ensemble, The Residents, during which time he featured in Under Milkwood, A History of
Everything, The White Guard, The Mysteries, The Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, Money Shots and Accidental
Death of An Anarchist. He has been nominated for several awards, including Helpmanns for Best Actor
(Hamlet) and Best Supporting Actor (The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?) and received the Adelaide Critics Circle
Award for individual excellence. An accomplished singer and versatile musician, Cameron won an ARIA in
2007 for his work as a composer and founding member of The Audreys.
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PRINCIPALS
Jamie McGregor (Timon)
Born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand, Jamie studied drama at the New Zealand College
of Performing Arts. Since 1999 he has performed in many productions in his hometown, including
Sweeney Todd, Blood Brothers, Noises Off and Wind in the Willows. He played the role of Timon in
THE LION KING in Sydney and Singapore. Based in Sydney, Jamie has appeared in stage productions
for Tamarama Rock Surfers at the Old Fitzroy Theatre, including the role of JFK in The Schelling Point. He
also played the lead role of Chip in the Australian premiere production of The 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee for the Sydney Theatre Company in conjunction with the Melbourne Theatre Company. In
television, Jamie has had guest roles in The Tribe and Home and Away.
Russell Dykstra (Pumbaa)
Russell has had a distinguished career in film, television and theatre spanning more than 20 years. He made
his feature film debut in the acclaimed Soft Fruit, for which he won an AFI award for Best Actor in a Leading
Role. He has since appeared in Romulus My Father, which also saw him nominated for an AFI Award for
Best Supporting Actor. Other films include Lantana, Garage Days, Oranges and Sunshine and Clubland.
Russell currently stars in the award winning ABC television series Rake, and other television credits include
Spirited, Wild Boys, All Saints and White Collar Blue. His theatre credits are extensive and include God
of Carnage for the STC and Helpmann award winning performances in Toy Symphony and Stuff Happens
for Company B Belvoir. Russell recently played Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, and received the 2013
Helpmann Award for Best Supporting Male Actor in a Musical.
Nick Afoa (Simba)
Born and raised in South Auckland, New Zealand, Nick has combined his two greatest passions; rugby
and singing, by regularly performing the national anthem for international rugby games in Australia and
New Zealand (2005-2013). Nick has also performed at Sky City Symphony Under the Stars (2004) and
Christmas in the Park (2012). A keen sportsman, Nick represented New Zealand at the Under 19 Rugby
World Cup (2004). He makes his theatre debut in THE LION KING.
Josslynn Hlenti (Nala)
Josslynn came to prominence as a contender on Idols South Africa in 2011. She studied Humanities at the
University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, before gaining a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Drama. Her
first public performance came in 2007 when she was cast in a production of the musical Annie as part of a
young performer’s initiative. Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, Josslynn has been singing since the
age of eight after discovering her love for music in her school choir. Her goal is to run her own performing
arts school where financially disadvantaged children can hone their craft. Josslynn has performed at various
corporate events and sang at former President Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebrations in 2011.
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PRINCIPALS
Ruvarashe Ngwenya (Shenzi)
Ruvarashe is of Zimbabwean descent and lives in Melbourne. She is currently studying for her Bachelor of
Contemporary Music at the VCA. Ruvarashe’s professional music career began at the Melbourne jazz venue
Bennett’s Lane when she was invited to perform at the opening of the International Women’s Jazz Festival
in 2009. The following year Ruvarashe won the Future Leaders Jazz Award and got to perform in front of
thousands of people in Federation Square as part of the Melbourne Jazz Festival. In 2010 she was selected
as a solo vocalist to feature in the Shine On: State Schools Spectacular.
Terry Yeboah (Banzai)
Terry is a 2011 graduate of the VCA and has worked regularly in theatre, television and film. He has
appeared on stage for a number of leading companies, including Black Swan Theatre Company, Melbourne
Theatre Company and Red Stitch. He recently completed a tour in Daniel Keene’s one-man play Boxman and
is writing a play about black men and women who have made an impact in the world. His stage productions
include Boundary Street, Helicopter, Six Degrees of Separation, Happiness and The Pain and The Itch. Film
credits include The Kath & Kim Filum, Who Wants to be a Terrorist, I Love You Too and Grist for the Gossip
Mill. For television Terry has featured in Neighbours, Blue Heelers, Rush and Australia on Trial.
Andre Jewson (Ed)
A versatile performer, Andre graduated from the VCA School of Drama in 2005. From 2010 to 2012 he
trained at L’Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris, where he honed his skills in physical comedy, clowning, mask,
melodrama, Greek tragedy and circus arts. Andre’s passion for the stage was sparked from a young age,
inspiring his work with young artists in Paris, Melbourne, at ATYP in Sydney and as a facilitator at the
Kakiseni International Arts Exchange in Malaysia. In 2006 Andre played a memorable lead role in Steven
Berkoff’s East at La Mama. In 2007 he acted, sang and played piano in The History Boys for the Melbourne
Theatre Company and in 2008 he appeared in director Eamon Flack’s production of Arabian Night for
Griffin Theatre Company’s Stablemates season.
YOUNG SIMBA
Jasper James Lloyd, Joshua Park, Adrian Pulvirenti, Ethan Puse
YOUNG NALA
Ruby Alexander, Ayanda Dladla, Ariana Haghighi, Sabrina Sialeipata
ENSEMBLE
Bernard Angel, Caleb Bartolo, Laurence Creevey, Ed Deganos, Akina Edmonds, Jabulani Gambu,
Sandile Gontsana, Mietta Gornall, Graeme Isaako, Jacqueline Ison, Sophia Laryea, Sharon Lee,
Dikeldi Letebele, Nicolas Li, Loredo Malcolm, Gabisile Manana, Lee Morunga, Buti Mothamaha,
Zoe Mthiyane, Lungelo Ndlovu, Matu Ngaropo, Max Oliveira, Diana Ricks, Joseph Rivera,
Anica Scott-Garrell, Pamela Sidhu, Noluthando Sithole, Toni Stewart, Rebecca Tapia, Jason Te Patu,
Jeffrey Trinidad, Benn Welford, Joshua Williams, Wei Wei Zhang
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