NATIONAL CHILDREN’S THEATRE PRESENTS DISNEY’S DARE TO DREAM JR. AT NCT
“Hakuna Matata. Let It Go. Be Our Guest. When You Wish Upon a Star.”
The songs you’ve loved all your life. Together, for the first time, on one stage.
National Children’s Theatre (NCT) is thrilled to announce the South African premiere of Disney’s Dare to Dream JR., running from 30 September to 11 October 2026 at NCT, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown, Johannesburg.
Directed by Ivor Jones and performed by an exceptional ensemble of teen performers aged 13 to 18, this exhilarating 60-minute musical revue brings together over 20 beloved Disney songs spanning a full century of Disney storytelling — from the golden classics of Snow White and Pinocchio to contemporary anthems from Frozen, Encanto, Moana, Coco, and The Lion King.
What is Dare to Dream JR.? It’s a brand-new musical revue, written by Disney Theatrical Group to celebrate 100 years of Disney music. The show follows a group of young “Junior Imagineers” — trainees arriving for their first day at Walt Disney’s legendary Imagineering Studios — as they discover, together, the power of dreams to inspire, connect, and transform.
There is no single hero. No villain. No fairytale romance. Just fifteen young people learning something every audience member already knows in their bones: that the songs we grew up with carry something real. Something that lasts.
The result is pure theatrical joy — a show that feels simultaneously brand new and deeply, warmly familiar.
“Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. embodies everything we stand for. These are stories and songs that children across Gauteng already carry in their hearts, and when they hear them performed live, by young learners their own age, on a real stage, something shifts. They begin to see themselves differently and believe that the stage might be theirs too. This is why we do this work at NCT, and why this production matters.” — Belinda Germeshuizen, COO, NCT
The Songs: South African audiences may not yet know the show by name, but they will know the soundtrack by heart. Dare to Dream JR. features some of the most beloved songs in Disney’s 100-year catalogue, including When You Wish Upon a Star • Be Our Guest • A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes • Hakuna Matata • The Bare Necessities • Let It Go • You’ve Got a Friend in Me • Part of Your World • How Far I’ll Go • Friend Like Me • Surface Pressure • Try Everything • Remember Me • Go the Distance • I Just Can’t Wait to Be King—and more. “Every song in this show is one you already know and love. Our job is simply to remind you why. Fifteen extraordinary young performers, one stage, a hundred years of Disney magic — it’s going to be a very special show.” — Ivor Jones, Director
