“Of course, having grown up watching the show I absolutely jumped at the opportunity! It was such an amazing experience, and everyone was so lovely and supportive on the day,” explains actor and singer Merryl, who is currently appearing in front of thousands as Nala in The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre.

“So, as it's all part of the Disney umbrella, the Disney Studios team contacted the Disney Theatrical team to see whether I would want to be involved to help launch the promotional campaign for the film. It was wonderful to give the British TV debut performance of the song from Wish.”

Merryl launched her career in 2017 after graduating from the Royal Academy of Music with an MA in Musical Theatre.  She has since gone on to appear in a variety of shows, including the Carole King Musical, Heathers: The Musical and Crazy for You.

She still thinks fondly of her time at LEH. “I do remember studying Drama and Theatre studies at school, I have such wonderful memories! I fell in love with acting when I took up extra-curricular Speech and Drama lessons when I was in the Junior School.

“I then continued in the Senior School with Drama GCSE and Theatre Studies A level, but it wasn't until Sixth Form that I performed my first musical where I was in the ensemble for Oklahoma! I had such an incredible time performing in that show but never considered it as a career at that point.”

Merryl originally studied Accounting and Management at Bristol University and while there applied for the National Youth Music Theatre, where she helped develop a new musical The Other School, which was performed at an Off-West-End theatre.

She says: “That’s when I started thinking about pursuing acting full time, and eventually applied to The Royal Academy to do my MA. I’ve been working in the industry ever since!”

What has she learnt since starting out? “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my career so far is to not compare yourself to others. It’s something that is so difficult to do as a lot of this industry is about comparison and people will do that for you regardless. If you’re able to focus on yourself and not get consumed by what others are doing, it will give you a much better peace of mind. Everything happens for a reason and at its appointed time and you really have to trust that.”

We are incredibly proud of everything Merryl has achieved and 'Wish' her well for the future.  You can keep up to date by following Merryl’s socials:

Instagram: @merrylansah

X (Twitter): @merrylansah