Review | The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Regent Theatre)

Review by Kelly Smith

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Step through the wardrobe into the magic kingdom of Narnia where a world of wonder awaits. Join Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter as they meet new friends, face dangerous foes and learn the lessons of courage, sacrifice, and the power of love.

75 years after the book of the same name was first published, the UK tour of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe has stopped off at Hanley’s Regent Theatre this week until 7th June.

My first memory of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was watching the BBC version on VHS on the telly that was wheeled into my primary school classroom at some point in the 90’s (if you know, you know). I remember Narnia, Mr Tumnus, the White Witch’s sleigh and that’s about it. Luckily, the entirety of this beautiful stage adaptation will stay in my memory for a very long time thanks to Michael Fentiman’s direction, Tom Paris’ set design and Jack Knowles’ lighting concepts.

Set during the second World War, we meet siblings Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe), Edmund (Bunmi Osadolor), Susan(Joanna Adaran) and Peter (Jesse Dunbar) who are being evacuated from London to Aberdeen to stay in the home of The Professor (Kraig Thornber). While exploring the house, Lucy comes across a spare room with a wardrobe which seems to only contain old, mothbitten fur coats. She is soon transported to the magical Narnia, a land plunged into 100 years of winter (but never Christmas) by the White Witch(Ffion Haf). 

The visual effects used were nothing short of stunning, the simple, dark but effective stage scenery proving a great contrast to the lighting. The train journey to Scotland and the transitions from the wardrobe to Narnia and back again were beautiful to look at. At one point, illuminated pieces of Turkish delight seemed to float around the stage before taking on the shape of a giant. However, the stand out moment for me came at the end of act one; the White Witch flew into the air, her dress growing to cover the entire stage space as she looked down upon us all and I gasped in awe at the whole thing.

There was wonderful use of puppetry throughout, giving creatures great and small a real sense of personality. The Professor’s cat, Schrodinger brought humour while the mighty lion Aslan provided a real spectacle.

I can’t end this review without talking about the sheer talent of the cast as a whole. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a group asmulti-talented as this one. The majority of the music performed during the production was played live on stage by the company, at some points while singing and dancing at the same time! Let me tell you, that’s no mean feat with a double bass!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, it was an absolutely brilliant show from start to finish with a well deserved standing ovation at the end. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to see if my wardrobe contains a secret portal to another world. See you in Narnia!

PHOTO - Brinkhoff-Moegenburg