Photo credit Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
The spectacular stage production of the 1950’s C.S. Lewis classic comes to Regent Theatre on the latest leg of its UK 2025 tour.
Opening in 2017, the production follows four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie who are evacuated from London in 1940, to escape the Blitz, and sent to live with Professor Digory Kirke at a large house in the English countryside. While exploring the house, Lucy enters a wardrobe and finds herself in the magical world of Narnia, under the tyrannical rule of the White Witch.
It fuses imaginative storytelling with theatrical ingenuity. The stage transforms into a vivid Narnian landscape with the cast part and parcel of producing the backgrounds, becoming part of the staging themselves or holding props, to conjure such landscapes as snowy forests, faun-filled glades, and the White Witch’s icy palace. The transitions are seamless and highly impressive, even including shadow play and brilliant but simple lighting.
The cast delivers with conviction, providing the musical element to the production, playing instruments on stage as part of the live action as well as singing. The constant slick movement, scene changes, singing and dancing whilst holding and playing instruments is absolutely impressive. The original pieces by Barnaby Race and Benji Bower capture the mood really well and provide a haunting backdrop, but also playful during the scenes with Father Christmas and The Beavers.
The main cast play the Pevensie siblings with aplomb, capturing their characters’ personality well. Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe), played with wide-eyed curiosity, Edmund’s (Bunmi Osadolor) internal struggle and redemption arc, Peter (Jesse Dunbar) and Susan (Joanna Adaran) balancing courage and doubt with a maturity beyond their years.
The White Witch (Ffion Haf) also plays the role well, making it menacing, chilling but not once turning it into a caricature. Aslan is brought to life impressively, through a blend of puppetry and actor embodiment (think War Horse).
It stays true to the classic whilst breathing new life into the novel and bringing the tale to fresh audiences. The effects and staging, magical and the multi-talented cast are fabulous.
A spectacular production that you cannot and should not miss. The show is on until 7th June and tickets can be purchased from the box office or online here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe/regent-theatre/
