The word ‘must-see’ can often be thrown around when speaking about theatre, however this show is one to watch. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, an adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s first novel in the series of The Chronicles of Narnia, follows the story of the four Penvensie children: Peter (Ammar Duffus), Susan (Robyn Sinclair), Edmund (Shaka Kalokoh) and Lucy (Karise Yansen) who are evacuated to the house of Mr Brumswick in the countryside during World War II, and in his spare room unexpectedly uncover and enter the unknown land of Narnia full of mystical and magical creatures. They seek to restore Narnia to its former glorious state, with the help of some of these creatures and the great lion, Aslan. 

To start, it was great to see such diversity within the cast, steering away from the original novel, and bringing forward up-and-coming black talents such as Karise Yansen who recently featured in BBC’s Death in Paradise, in her first theatre role, and did a tremendous job at portraying the character of Lucy, endearing all our hearts in her warmth and ability to connect with all the characters. 

I remember as a child reading the book and seeing film adaptations that I was rather scared at some points of the character of The White Witch. However, Samantha Womack, who took up this character, really embodied the role whilst not being too intimidating to put off the little ones in the audience, thus allowing for the show to be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences.

The versatility of the cast was also extremely impressive, with several members of the ensemble cast taking on two or three different roles within the play as well as commanding puppetry, managing large and small-scale props, and playing a wide range of musical instruments to create a magical escape. The execution was seamless and there was really nothing to fault. 

We must talk about the impressive stage production as well; with so many different visual aspects to encapsulate Narnia, you really feel like you are being transported to a different world. I particularly liked the juxtaposition of having a large clock towering over the stage to signify the element of time, next to elements such as the moving train that transports the children on the stage, which is created through the imaginative use of suitcases and the cast whirling around synchronously together, which makes you feel like you really are there on the train with them.

The use of puppetry was fantastic as well and tied in so well with the other elements of the story. There were small elements that I particularly enjoyed, such as the Robin that gracefully moved around the stage to the noble lion that accompanied Aslan – played by Chris Jared who embodied the voice of the lion and did so with great power, working effortlessly with the puppeteer to create a character with real force. The lighting also added to the unified storytelling, with a misty blue and smoke effects used when the White Witch was present, to a warming and charming orange in the presence of Aslan. This was also complemented by the outfit fabric and colour palette of the cast.  

There are several connections to the theme of war which is transcendent throughout both worlds – with We’ll Meet Again sang as the opening song to the use of bunker hats in the creatures that accompany The White Witch and references to a war in all words by Mr Tumnus who discovers the humans in Narnia. 

All in all, you can really tell that the production and cast has given every attention to detail in the making of this play. It will send you back to nostalgic feelings of your childhood and the magic of discovering new things. However, it also encompasses another audience and gives adults the opportunity to realise that there is more to this world, something beyond, as symbolised by Mr Brunswick who quoted at the start of the show, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”

Rating: 5/5

Due to illness, “the roles of The White Witch and Mrs. Macready will be played by Rachel Dawson, and the roles of Professor Kirk and Father Christmas will be played by Matthew James Hinchliffe.”

Please note that Sam Womack will not be in any performances at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham for the remainder of the week.

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