Review – The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe

In 2017 at Leeds Playhouse a production of The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe was devised by the cast under the direction of Sally Cookson. What has emerged down the years has been a piece of work where the emphasis is clearly on the ensemble rather than individual stand out performers.

I’ve a particular love of the original C S Lewis’ ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’, the second of the Narnia novels, which were published between 1950 and 1956 as I was a cast member of the original BBC television series. The emerging work was a magical experience with location as well as studio shoots.

I was interested to see how the limitations of theatre could deal with a multitude of locations plus a plethora of characters.

Whilst the audience are coming into the auditorium an actor in an air raid warden’s helmet and great coat gently plays a piano centre stage. Setting the scene for the era and we soon discover that the upright keys are to play an integral part in the setting of scenes.

As the sounds of a railway station start to gently penetrate the scene the piano playing becomes louder, a ‘public’ station announcement reminds us to switch off our mobile phones and a soldier arrives singing ‘We’ll Meet Again’. Within seconds an ensemble of singers and musicians fill the set creating the atmosphere of a busy WW2 evacuation scene.

The set and costumes that Tom Paris have devised are truly remarkable. The many touches of magic and illusions designed by Chris Fisher throughout, including the disappearance of Aslan’s body and Jardis into a pile of furs, simply enhance this astonishing production.

The swings constantly change from one character and striking costume to another. The scenes metamorphosise with the simplest of change of props by the ensemble and Jack Knowles clever lighting. One of my favourite examples comes very early on in the form of the handheld, brightly lit, railway carriages constantly moving with the dancers and actors.

The Irish folk inspired music from Barnaby Race and Benji Bower conjure up a perfect vibe throughout whether it be chilling, triumphant or playful.

In this production the Pevensie children are evacuated to be billeted to Scotland to a professor’s idiosyncratic rambling home where a large wardrobe enables the entrance into the parallel world of Narnia. The four children who started as lost, trepidatious and squabbling on a railway station evolve into fully rounded, considered young adults through their travails in the troubled kingdom of Narnia.

Although this is an ensemble piece with every performer being outstanding Katy Stephens’ Jardis The White Witch is regally resplendent in delivery and unmitigated evil plus her Mrs Macready is a no nonsense delight. She dominates the stage whenever she appears. Her murder of Aslan is utterly chilling.

The saviours of Narnia, delivering it from the darkness and Jardis, are the animal resistance, Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund Pevensie plus the god-like figure of Aslan strikingly played as a pairing of puppetry, designed by Max Humphries, directed by Oliver Grant (originally by Tobie Olie) and the dynamic performance of Stanton Wright.

This is an entrancing, atmospheric and stunning production whose director Michael Fentiman needs to be applauded for his attention for detail and magical realisation.

The message of hope and battle against evil is summed up in the line “the sun is up there – we just have to look’”

The Company

Katy Stephens Jardis The White Witch/Mrs Macready, Joanna Adaran Susan, Jesse Dunbar Peter, Kudzai Mangombe Lucy, Bunmi Osadolor Edmund, Stanton Wright Archie Combe Mr Pope and Foxtrot, Andrew Davison Mr Wilson Schroedinger, Jack Rabbit, Aslan Puppeteer and Head Cruel, Anya de Villiers Mrs Beaver, Molly Francis Mrs Pevensie, Aslan Puppeteer and Robin, Ruby Greenwood Onstage Swing, Ffion Haf Miss Gumley-Warmley and Phoenix, Rhiannon Hopkins Miss Chutney and Blue Badger, Joe Keenan Mr Granville, Spirit of the Moon and Red Squirrel, Oliver Magor Onstage Swing, JB Maya Onstage Swing, Luca Moscardini Onstage Swing, Alfie Richards Mr Tumnus, White Mouse and Badger , Kraig Thornber The Professor, Father Xmas and Wise Owl, Ed Thorpe Mr Beaver, Rhodri Watkins Mr Brinkworth, March Hare and Aslan Puppeteer and Shane Anthony Whiteley Maugrim, Satyr and White Stag.