REVIEW | The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - Birmingham Rep

Reviews

19 Nov

Written by Emmie.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review.

Regarded as one of my top shows of 2022; The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe has returned to the stage for the festive season at the Birmingham Rep. One of the most imaginative and ambitious stage adaptations, this is a great alternative for families this Christmas who maybe don’t want to see a pantomime.

Michael Fentiman’s production is visually stunning - immersing and transitioning the audiences between the two worlds in which this story sits. From the moment that this show begins we are taken to Britain amid World War II. At the centre of this story are the four Pevensie children who are about to embark on an adventure to Scotland to escape the horrors of war, but what they don’t expect to happen is that they’ll be transported to an entirely different world that lives beyond the doors of a wardrobe. Once in the world of Narnia, the children will have to fulfil a prophecy and save the inhabitants of this world from the eternal winter. An eternal winter that The White Witch, Jadis, has established.

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The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is something of pure beauty and brings together so many different creative elements that it results in being unforgettable. What works so well in this production is the addition of the score - played by an excellent cast of actor-musicians which helps to build and sustain the flow of this storyline. ‘When It Was Spring’ is notably one of the best songs in this show. Tom Paris’s set and costume design is flawless, and the presentation of the Narnians is striking.

The puppetry included in this show certainly does its job as a stand out - the moment Aslan arrives on the stage is a moment of theatre that will stick with you long after the end of the show. Brought to life by Michael Larcombe, Will Hawksworth and Anu Ogunmefun and supported by Oliver Hoare in a more physical/human form as Aslan is the performance of the night.

The four Pevensie children (Kudzai Mangombe as Lucy, Jerome Scott as Edmund, Liyah Summers as Susan and Daniel Apea as Peter) each deliver interesting interpretations of their characteristics within the sibling structure.

Whilst in Narnia the inhabitants have a huge impact on the audience - with people in utter awe of how this world comes to life. I loved the infectious energy between Ruby Ablett and Samuel Morgan-Grahame’s performance as Mr and Mrs Badger. Jez Unwin returns as Mr Tumnus, as loveable and captivating as the character from C.S Lewis’ story.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is still as stunning and magical as the first time I saw it. Join the Pevenise children on an adventure that you won’t want to stop.