With the big day rapidly approaching, spare a thought for the inhabitants of Narnia, for whom Winter has lingered around for 100 years, but without a single Christmas day to celebrate. The timeless tale of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe from C.S. Lewis comes to the stage where it’s currently enjoying a residency at The Lowry for the festive season.
This new production, based on the original production by Sally Cookson is a visual feast, and director Michael Fentiman has certainly captured the magical world of Narnia, and it’s animal inhabitants, sublimely. The show whizzes through the adventures of the Pevensie Children, war-time evacuees who find themselves in the home the eccentric Professor Kirk (Johnson Willis).
Racing through the house, they stumble through a wardrobe in the spare room, and end up in the land of perpetual Winter, Narnia. With the help of some beavers, squirrels, and of course the titular lion, Aslan, they battle The White Witch to bring springtime back to the land.
There’s a wonderful chemistry between the Pevensie children, Anmar Duffus, Shaka Kalokoh, Robyn Sinclair and Karise Yansen carry the show forward beautifully, and allow the audience to really get behind them.
Music has a big role in this production of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, and the actor musicians who play the folk-style score keep the production bouncing along, even in the darker moments when the sinister underlings of The White Witch bring menace and malice to the stage.
Samantha Womack, fresh from another touring production, dazzles as The Witch. The stunning costumes from Rae Smith, only serve to heighten the sheer power that Womack commands. Importantly, Womack doesn’t play the role too evil, so younger audience members can enjoy disliking the ‘baddie’ without feeling scared.
Womack’s performance literally soars, thanks to some incredible aerial effects, but all of the movement and choreography is wonderful and it helps to create the magical feeling required for such a production. No more so than when puppetry is involved, Chris Jared as Aslen shares the stage with a striking aluminium and wood lion, which delights the audience.
Probably as the show needs to appeal to younger audiences as well as adults, the shorter running time means things move a little too quickly, and some of the best songs feel like they’ve been cut short just as they reach their crescendo. However, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe is the perfect show for all ages this Christmas, magical in every way.
Tour and ticket details can be found here
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