The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Members of the company. Photography by David Hou.

Stratford’s production of the children’s classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is a lot of fun for the whole family. Adrian Mitchell’s adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ beloved tale is faithful to the original story, with the added bonus of several delightful musical numbers.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it begins in England during the Second World War, as four children are sent away from the bombings in London to stay at the country home of an eccentric professor. The play traces the adventures of Lucy (Sarah Farb), Susan (Ruby Joy), Edmund (Andre Morin) and Peter (Gareth Potter) as they discover a magical world called Narnia that can be accessed through a peculiar wardrobe in the professor’s attic.

While in Narnia, the children encounter several friendly creatures including the delightful fawn, Mr. Tumnus (Mike Nadajewski), but they are soon alerted to the fact that Narnia is controlled by an evil force, the White Witch (Yanna McIntosh), an ominious figure that ensures it’s “always winter, but never Christmas” throughout the land.

The children soon learn that they are fated to play a pivotal role in Narnia’s restoration to good with the return of the Christ figure, Aslan the lion (Tom McCamus). The play’s script bears many similarities to the wonderful 1980s BBC adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ book. Having grown up watching the BBC series myself, at times I felt I could almost talk along with the characters.

The addition of several musical numbers is a nice touch, especially in a play intended for children. The sets are fantastic, evoking the sense of magic and otherworldliness of Lewis’ original story. The cast is strong across the board, with standout performances from the very funny Mr. Tumnus and the terror-invoking White Witch. As is appropriate, Aslan steals the show, with a spectacular costume that brings the formidable lion to life in all his terror and majesty.

Don’t miss this magical production, which can be enjoyed at any age! The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe runs until November 5th at the Avon Theatre. Visit stratfordfestival.ca for more information and to buy tickets.