I’ve always loved C.S Lewis’ the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and so had high expectations for the play of it. It exceeded them. On the 12th of April, I went to see the performance of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Wimbledon Theatre and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute - it was a great way to escape for a few hours.
Samantha Womack’s White Witch was terrifying and very ominous and the Pevensie children were very relatable siblings. Ammar Duffus was the perfect loyal and protective older brother, Robyn Sinclair captured Susan’s feeling of duty and responsibility superbly, Shaka Kalokoh managed to make me hate Edmund and then love him again in the space of 110 minutes, and Karise Yansen, who plays Lucy, was the epitome of a kind and curious child.
The swing (the ensemble) brought the play to life with expressive dance routines and physical movement and there were many funny one-liners, my favourites all coming from the professor, Johnson Willis.
The set, and props, were unlike any I have ever seen before. It was so creative, especially when they were in Narnia - they transformed the stage from an ancient house to a mysterious winter forest in seconds. I was originally apprehensive about how they would do this, but they made me feel like I was going through the wardrobe with them. The best word I could use to describe the set is ‘insane’ as every set change brought something even better and more astounding.
I didn’t expect it to incorporate so much music, but the actor-musicians were very talented, and I liked the choice to have the instruments played on stage.
Georgie Williams Ellis, who went to see it too, also enjoyed it very much - ‘they welcomed the audience into their magical world of dancing wolves, singing beavers and inspiring bravery excellently’.
Overall, the performance was very creative, and the directors managed to follow the story accurately while still putting their own spin on it and taking it in their own direction. It was a unique and enjoyable portrayal of the well-loved world of Narnia, something I imagine is not an easy task. It is only on until the 16th of April and I highly recommend you go see it before then.
