REVIEW: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

© Matt Crockett

One of the most beloved of all children’s books comes to the West Midlands in a spellbinding and captivating stage adaptation.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is now playing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

The classic novel was published exactly 75-years ago in October 1950 and it remains a bestseller and is loved by children and adults all over the world. The mystical world of Narnia created by C. S. Lewis has influenced many authors over the years and there’s hardly a children’s fantasy book published since the release of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that isn’t in some shape or form been inspired by, or owes a debt, to the magical world of Narnia.

The evergreen book, with its themes of family bond, friendship, betrayal, sacrifice and loss of innocence has been adapted into a cartoon, a television serial, a Hollywood film (a new Netflix film is currently in production and filming is taking place on location in Bradford), an audio book, a radio adaptation and also a critically-acclaimed theatre production that has spellbound audiences since premiering in 2017.

This stage show – based on the original production by Sally Cookson – is packed with the kind of theatrical magic which mesmerises the mind of young and old alike. In other words, the stage version is a perfect family show with enough drama, comedy, music and dancing to keep everyone entertained. Unlike lifeless, sterile and soulless CGI gimmickry that often reduces the emotional connection of the audience to a film adaptation, the intimacy and immediacy of a theatrical version taps directly into the minds of the audience and unlocks their imaginations.

The interactive nature of this theatrical production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe begins as soon as audience members enter the auditorium. A lone soldier is playing a plaintive piano melody that grips the heart, and the scene gently transitions into a bustling railway station where the Public Announcement system calls out for people to turn off their mobile phones and settle into their seats.   

The story of the classic novel will be very familiar to most people and the opening scene in the stage adaptation has a very real connection to our world which marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day this year. Four teenage siblings – two girls and two boys – are whisked away from the danger posed by the Luftwaffe’s nightly Blitz in London to the peace and safety of the countryside during World War II.

Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy stay at the creaky and forlorn mansion of an old professor, and on a wet and dreary day when they’re forced to stay indoors, the children decide to play a game of hide-and-seek.

Lucy, the youngest member of the group, jumps into a wizened cupboard to hide. She realises the cupboard is much bigger than it looks from the outside and as she explores the space around her she emerges into another landscape. She steps into a world of snow and trees, and in the distance she spies a faun walking jauntily along the path with an armful of Christmas presents.

Lucy has just stepped into the realm of Narnia, and a truly spellbinding adventure begins…

 The tragedy of Narnia is that it’s "always winter and never Christmas" because the White Witch has placed a curse upon the land.

The production values in this show are topnotch and the world of Narnia is brought to life with a dazzling array of technical wizardry to create a landscape draped and glittering with newly fallen snow, creatures such as badgers, stags, beavers, wolves, etc, are brought to life via imaginative costuming, puppetry, movement direction, sublime lighting and glorious music which sweeps up the audience and transports the mind to the fantastical landscapes of Narnia.

The direction by Michael Fentiman is spot on and every scene transition is seamless, and the narrative keeps flowing smoothly towards a poignant and poetic climax that had some members of the audience weeping softly as the curtain fell and the lights came on.

The performances are superb and there’s a real spark between the four individuals who take on the central roles of the children. Jesse Dunbar (Peter), Joanna Adaran (Susan), Bunmi Osadalor (Edmund) and Kudzai Mangombe (Lucy) are so in tune with their characters that the warmth of familial bond is very palpable between them.  

Stanton Wright has a commanding and regal presence as Aslan while Katy Stephens as the White Witch chills the soul with her frosty gaze and icy vocal delivery. Her cloaked and hooded henchmen – and the eerie wolves – cast a really frightening spell as they prowl about in the shadows and go lurching after the innocent children. The pagan eeriness in the scene where Aslan is prepared for sacrifice upon the Stone Table sends chills up the spine.

The set and costume design by Tom Paris deserves serious recognition. The magic conjured up by Paris deserves to be honoured when the annual theatre awards are handed out. The level of detail and imagination employed by Paris to create the world of Narnia is sheer theatrical poetry.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ushers in the Christmas season with delightful magic that transports the mind into dreamy realms.

Verdict: ★★★★★

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is now playing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 1^st November