Rating: 3.5/5
Venue: Sadler's Wells, London
Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime as the ‘spellbinding’ (The Guardian) smash-hit production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe comes to Sadler’s Wells.
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. This larger-than-life production blends the artistry of puppetry, mesmerising storytelling and a talented cast of actor-musicians, creating an unforgettable theatrical experience.
C.S. Lewis’ classic story The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe celebrates its 75th birthday this year and is still enchanting children and adults alike. Mike Fentiman’s production based on Sally Cookson’s original retains the magic of the original story, combined with dramatic, intense moments that bring Narnia to life.
The show opens with a charming rendition of 'We’ll Meet Again' placing us firmly within a wartime era. At this point we are introduced to the children at the centre of the tale, being transported by train up to the safety of Scotland to stay with a Professor, delightfully played with a real warmth by Kraig Thornber. It doesn’t always work to have adults playing children’s roles, but in this case, all four actors playing the Pevensies were convincing and had a natural sibling-like relationship, bickering but with an undercurrent of care and affection for each other.
Katy Stephens’ turn as the villainous White Witch ran the risk of turning a little panto villain, though she commanded the stage and added drama and tension to each of her scenes. She was icy in her delivery and suitably glamorous and seductive when enticing an innocent Edmund into her world.
The antidote to the White Witch’s wicked ways comes in the form of the hearty lion Aslan, played partly by Stanton Wright and also commanded by a large, mesmerising puppet. It was a little unusual to watch man and puppet play the same character simultaneously, not always knowing which one to focus on, but the character was charming and Wright certainly had a captivating stage presence.
The key to mesmerising the audience came not only through the acting on stage, but the clever aspects of staging and lighting of the creative team. Tom Paris’ set design was simplistic yet excellent. A large clock face acts as the backdrop to help us mark the difference between time spent in the real world and time spent in Narnia, and Jack Knowles’ stunning lighting also helped distinguish between the two worlds. Despite this, I felt there was a slight disconnect between the brightly coloured marketing for the show and the set itself. A pop of colour here and there would’ve been a welcome lift among an otherwise earthy colour scheme and helped transport us more to the childlike magic of Narnia. That said, the magic in the show certainly was impressive, with magician Chris Fisher leading on the subtle but spellbinding illusions.
Perhaps controversially, I felt the show may work better as a straight play without the musical numbers. The music, played often by talented actors and musicians on-stage, added to the intense, dramatic atmosphere in parts, but in others it added little to the performance and felt confused. When it worked, it certainly brought a welcome musicality, though elsewhere it slowed the pace of the action and felt less atmospheric and memorable.
At the heart of this show is its storytelling, portrayed through the artistry of wonderful puppetry, stunning lighting, magic and a talented cast. This combines to create an overall lovely production, which all ages will enjoy, and is certainly worth a watch, though for me it wasn’t quite unforgettable.
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