The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is a literary classic, most people will have heard of it and will be expecting all the usual delights, including the Turkish kind. People will have expectations from watching the animated film or various other adaptations, and many will have read the book. It’s always interesting to see how something has been adapted for stage and this is a super version, however the non linear aspects at the beginning do lead to some confusion. That said, this is a really super production and nothing should take away from that. 

Directing team Rebecca Walls and Sadie Ghinn-Morris have done a great job, corralling the many actors and characters on the stage, with some doubling, making it seem as if there were more actors in total. The costumes are so well done and very special, with so many little details: Mr Tumnus' proper hooves were clearly really high heeled - well done to Eloise Gregory for being able to walk so in character in them; the beaver tails; the wolf masks and dreadlocks and overall costumes; the White Witch costume and super glittery wand and staff; the masked creatures and costumes; and not forgetting the incredible Aslan outfit with fantastic lion mask and dreadlocks which looked as if it came straight out of the Lion King, but had been handmade just for this production. Such an amazing team effort on all of them. 

There were some super moments within the play which stand out. The way Mr Tumnus’ home folded out and later when it was ransacked, the way the penalty notice was knifed to the wall was really lovely. Mrs Beaver appearing from behind a panel was a lovely surprise, clearly having been there since the beginning of the show but nobody knew! Walking through the back of the wardrobe which then appeared to be stage left with a rack of fur coats was really lovely. The stone table looked amazing, and later when it cracked it looked super. The special appearance by Father Christmas, listed as himself in the programme, was so lovely; especially for all the families with young children coming to watch. There are quite a few blackouts in lighting states which take you out of the flow of the story, reimagining those choices and making things smoother would really help. However, the light over the table when the White Witch was looming over Aslan was really well done. The excellent sound scaping of whispered voices of “Aslan” by the trees when they walked through the forest was a highlight: there could happily have been more of the sound scaping in other appropriate parts as it created such a wonderful atmosphere. Such an interesting idea, huge well done to all for this. 

The acting was elevated in this production with both characterisation and movement, and no prompts, which was delightful. With a large cast not everyone can be mentioned and it’s worth noting that everyone was so very watchable. Antony Barden really impressed with his movements as the Goblin; and Eloise Gregory learning the pipes especially for this production to play live on stage as Mr Tumnus was fantastic: the tune was also really lovely. Robyn Dessoy and Teresa Carlile were delightful as Mr and Mrs Beaver, becoming an example of a cute traditional couple that everyone will know. Jozef Ghinn-Morris played Aslan with serious authority, his power exuding from the stage. Sarah Fidler played the White Witch with a fear based authority and definite slower tones and deliberate pitching which made her very scary which was a lovely choice: it would have been interesting to see her develop more shades within the character for different scenes and maybe not all her lines spoken straight out to the audience; but definitely a lovely portrayal. Not forgetting the four main characters, the children: Lucas Connell as Peter, Yasmin Trabelsi as Susan, Adana Oosthuizen as Edmund and Katie Smith as Lucy, who formed a really believable sibling group. The language is twee and chocolate boxy but they spoke the lines naturally and with authenticity and truthfulness, really capturing the time of the 1940s. Edmund’s character was very huffy and outspoken right from the start in this adaptation which is a little jarring if you know the book, however the actors can’t choose how their character has been written. Katie Smith as Lucy was particularly natural, sweet and naive which was heartwarming, being the first link between both worlds. 

This was a really high standard production and a joy to watch: congratulations to every single person involved in creating this wonderful world for the stage. 

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