YOUNGSTERS performed a medley of songs to mark a film's launch.

Members of the Gala Stage School sang songs from Disney's The Lion King before the first showing of an updated version of the film at the Durham theatre's giant screen cinema just before Christmas.

The film, which has been specially reformatted for larger screens, officially opened on Boxing Day.

It will run at the Gala until the end of February, replacing the historical drama The Sacred Journey, which will be reinstated in the New Year.

A theatre spokeswoman said that although The Lion King was relatively old, the large screen version was a completely new experience.

"It's been reformatted to fit 12x14m screens and the gigantic screen makes the colours and images stronger," she said.

"The screen is so big that it's outside a normal person's peripheral vision, so people, especially children, feel like they are inside the show."

The spokeswoman denied that The Lion King was replacing The Sacred Journey due to a lack of ticket sales for the specially-commissioned drama based on St Cuthbert's life.

"It has been in the programme for a long time," she said.

"Beauty and the Beast was on last year, and it was well received.

"The Sacred Journey will still be put on if coach parties request it."

Tickets for The Lion King, which is running daily, are available from the box office on (0191) 332 4062.