The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

On Thursday 17th October, I was delighted to be invited to Kirkham Grammar School, to see their re-imagined production of CS Lewis’ classic, ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’. 

The play follows the story of four siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy—who are evacuated to the countryside during the Second World War. While exploring the home of Professor Kirke, Lucy stumbles upon a wardrobe that transports her to the magical land of Narnia, where it is always winter but never Christmas, owing to the curse of the White Witch. Eventually, all four siblings enter Narnia, where they join forces with the noble lion Aslan to overthrow the Witch and restore peace and warmth to the land. Along the way, they encounter mythical creatures, face betrayal, and witness Aslan’s sacrifice and resurrection, which vanquish the Witch’s power. The children are crowned as the kings and queens of Narnia, ruling in peace until they return to the real world, changed forever by their adventures.

The first thing that struck me upon entering the auditorium was the sheer scale of the venue. Part sports hall and part performance space, the cavernous room had been well-utilised for this show, with scenes taking place both on the stage and on the large floor area between that and the audience seating. This neatly solved the potential issue of the audience feeling as though they were a long way from the performance itself.

The show featured a very large cast, and I was informed that over eighty students had volunteered their time, energy and talents to the play - which gives me a great deal of hope for the future of live performance. The directors had made the decision to use cast rotation, so this show report is based on the performers who were on stage on the Thursday evening showing.

Directing duties were undertaken by Miss Leeming, Kirkham’s Head of Drama, and George Critchley, who also adapted the novel for the stage. Between the pair, there were many plates to keep spinning and I suspect that the team approach served them well in managing this large and multi-faceted production.

There were some impressive performances over the course of the show, and lots of positives to report. The central roles were played by Henry Jackson (Peter), Isobel Procter (Susan), Harry Ford (Edmund) and Isla Varley (Lucy), and they were the glue which held the narrative threads together.

As Peter, Henry Jackson gave an assured performance in his role as oldest child and protector of the siblings. He used his commanding voice to good effect and moved across the stage with a confidence befitting the role. Peter’s traditional counterpart, Susan, was delightfully portrayed by Isobel Procter, who delivered a mature, sensitive and confident performance. Well done to both. If I could offer one constructive criticism going forward, it would be for both to remember to project their voices with clarity, even when wearing a microphone system. This will ensure that the audience aren’t straining to hear sections of the dialogue.

As Edmund, the sibling who falls to the White Witch’s temptations, Harry Ford gave a good account of himself. His physicality clearly communicated to the audience that the character was easily influenced, demonstrating a great deal of nervous energy and untrustworthiness. At times, he let his vocal performance dip, meaning that lines were occasionally too fast, or too quiet but overall, an impressive evening’s work from Harry.

Isla Varley inhabited the role of Lucy Pevensie beautifully and delivered what I felt was the standout acting performance of the evening. Throughout the show, she spoke with confidence, clarity and commanding projection. Varley gave us a performance filled with nuance and delicacy but when the role required it, she displayed nerves of steel. She is a talented young performer, who could make a significant positive contribution to any number of plays - well done, Isla!

The Pevensie siblings were supported on stage by a large number of supporting characters, many of whom were performed with flair. Mr and Mrs Beaver were portrayed by Declan Calderbank and Rosa Gill, respectively, and they were perfectly cast in the roles. Often responsible for the play’s lighter moments, the pair worked exceptionally well together as a double-act. As with some other principals, projection was an issue at times, which was a shame but didn’t entirely detract from the duo’s work.

In the role of Mr Tumnus was Tilly Musson, who acted as our guide to the unknown world of Narnia. Musson gave a strong performance as the conflicted creature, forced to do the bidding of the evil White Witch, and her physicality as the skittish faun was particularly admirable.

The aforementioned White Witch was played by Emilia Smith on the night that I attended, and I felt that she was a good choice for the infamous character. Smith embodied the inherent evil of the enchantress and delighted in her more dastardly moments. On a few occasions, she slipped into the habit of shouting, which was slightly jarring but not overwhelmingly so. The White Witch’s subservient henchman, Dvereg the Dwarf was played by Harry Flomer and whilst I really enjoyed his physical portrayal of the character, hunched over, shuffling and creepy, he was a little quiet in the role. The accent and speech patterns he used were excellent but unfortunately difficult to hear clearly at all times.

When the Pevensie children are evacuated to the countryside from their home in London, they are sent to stay with the mysterious Professor Kirke (Raphael Ikram) and his stern housekeeper, Mrs Macready (Raia Trend) - both of whom were well suited to their roles and gave a good account of themselves throughout the play.

Later on in the narrative, we’re introduced to Aslan, true king of Narnia who has been usurped by the White Witch. The titular lion was played by Mia Gisslow and it was clear why she was chosen for this pivotal role. Her vocal delivery was powerful, clear and commanding throughout her time on stage, and she really embodied the character well.

Finally in the leading cast, the role of the Wardrobe was played by Sophie Noblett. In this production, the wardrobe acted as narrator, as well as an interdimensional portal and this seemed like an interesting creative choice. Hidden behind a prop wardrobe, manipulating a puppet mouth, Noblett did a sterling job of advancing the narrative and liaising with the audience and characters. Her clear speaking voice and precise enunciation were her strength in this production, and she is to be commended on her efforts.

The principal cast were supported on stage by an enormous group of chorus members, dancers and ensemble. The chorus were often on stage, seated across the lip and observing the action unravelling in front of us. This was a nice touch and brought the play to life, as we watched them react to what was happening around them. The large ensemble were on and off the stage in vast numbers, and mostly achieved this in a slick and timely manner. However, it is worth reminding them of the importance of remaining silent in the wings and backstage, as on quite a number of occasions, it was possible to hear them communicating with one another.

Six performers took the role of dancers in this production and are to be congratulated on their contribution to the piece. Their work was sharp, well-rehearsed and consistently engaging to watch. Much of it was rooted in contemporary and it was clear that the girls were skilled in this particular dance style. One of the highlights of the performance, I thought - well done girls.

Set and props flew on and off the stage with a calm efficiency, especially given the size and number of some of the items. Congratulations to the team responsible for the many set changes, who helped with the smooth running of the show.

Sound and lighting cues were sharp and timely throughout the play, and the technical team are to be congratulated for their contribution to the show itself. Always where they were meant to be and never a distraction.

At times, the production suffered from not being entirely sure what it was. Whilst I fully understand the motivation to modernise and make a classic work relevant to a contemporary audience, I think that in doing so, a little of the source material’s renowned charm was lost. Some songs felt shoe-horned into the piece in a way that didn’t necessarily serve the narrative well, and at times, the cast seemed to be struggling with lyrics, which meant the songs weren’t always performed confidently. A very well choreographed final battle scene did an excellent job of conveying the stakes and urgency but pairing the impressive visuals with a medley of Queen’s greatest hits was somewhat jarring. Over the course of the performance, some jokes fell flat and others went over the young cast’s heads and it wasn’t always clear if this was a play, a musical, a comedy or a pantomime. A sharper focus on one of those may have resulted in a more refined finished piece.

That being said, the cast worked extremely hard with the material and threw themselves fully into the performance. In fact, it was their energy and enthusiasm which carried the show and made it the fun night at the theatre that it ultimately was. It’s hugely gratifying to see young performers in that number who are keen to get involved with live performance and devote so much time and energy to bringing a creative vision to life. Direction by the duo of Miss Leeming and Mr Critchley was commendable and admirable, given the size of the cast and the complexity of the piece. Overall, a successful production of a beloved British classic.

Thank you for the invitation and the warm welcome - I look forward to whatever comes next for the talented students of Kirkham Grammar School.

 

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