It is around 75 years since C S Lewis wrote the introduction to the Narnia series of adventures The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe which has become a timeless classic of children’s fantasy literature.
Now transformed to the stage, the production has had a highly successful run in the West End before embarking on a long UK tour earning rave reviews along the way.
The story tells of the adventures of four children evacuated from wartime London – Susan (Joanna Adaran), Peter (Jesse Dunbar), Edmund (Bunmi Osadolor) and Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe) – who find themselves billeted at a strange country house in deepest Scotland.
Despite all of the warnings of the strict regime that they will face, the Professor (Kraig Thornber) who is master of the house proves to be a very avuncular and knowledgeable host with a hint of mystery about him and clearly does not expect the children to follow the rules set down by the housekeeper with his guests having the run of the building.
Lucy is the first to explore her billet and comes across a mysterious wardrobe in a spare room. Further exploration of the furniture leads to the discovery that the rear will fold away and allow access to the parallel world of Narnia – a fantasy world which has been in eternal winter ever since it fell under the control of the White Witch (Ffion Haf). Lucy meets a friendly faun Mr Tumnus (Alfie Richards) who is delighted to meet a daughter of Eve. Part of the prophesy is that if humans arrive then king Aslan will return and the seasons will once again have normality.
Lucy returns to her family and encourages Edmund to visit the fantasy world but he has a far more frightening experience than his sister as he is snared by the White Witch and on his return denies that Narnia exists.
Eventually, as the prophecy begins to come true, all four children are admitted to the other world where they meet such delightful creatures as Mr Beaver (Ed Thorpe) and his wife (Anya De Villiers). The arrival of the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve sees a thawing of the winter weather but not before Father Christmas (Thornber) hands the children special tools that will be essential in the battle to come.
Aslan (Stanton Wright) is on his way. But will the Witch be defeated In the Great War to come? And more importantly can Edmund be rescued from the Witch’s clutches.
Far from being a tale purely for the young, this is a production that brings joy to all in the audience. There is perfect casting with strong performances from all involved and, with many of the cast being actor-musicians, they are able to showcase their talents by performing some haunting original music under the Musical Direction of Ben Goddard Young.
This show has everything that a theatregoer could ask for. The action takes place on a fabulous set with the cast wearing costumes that portray both the 1940s period and the fantasy creatures of Narnia (all devised by Tom Paris). There is excellent dance and movement choreographed by Shanelle “Tali” Fergus and the lighting is superbly effective from Designer Jack Knowles.
However, what takes the production to another level is the magic and puppetry. The puppet Aslan that accompanies Wright is hugely impressive but there are many other creatures that are enhanced by their puppet form – a magnificent job by Puppetry Director Toby Olie.
The aerial work under the Direction of Gwen Hales adds another dimension but in a story that is full of fantasy there is a real need for magic and illusion. This show has it in spades with the finale to Act One being a real wow moment. Huge congratulations to Chris Fisher and, finally, huge congratulations to Director Michael Fentiman who has pulled all of these delightful threads of talent together to make a truly magical evening’s entertainment.
C S Lewis will, no doubt, be watching from above with huge satisfaction and giving a huge nod of approval as his classic tale is brought to life around the UK theatres. This is a splendid show that will live long in the memory and is another glittering jewel in the world of theatre. You simply must see it if you can but just beware of anyone offering you Turkish Delight.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe continues until 7th June and has a running time of approximately 2 hours 15 minutes including interval. For ticket information contact atgentertainment.com/stoke
