Theatre Royal, Brighton, March 12, 2025

A highly entertaining trip through CS Lewis’ magical wardrobe…

It’s 75 years since CS Lewis’ first Chronicle of Narnia was published (the actual anniversary arrives in October) and interest in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe continues unabated – indeed the same day as I saw this latest touring show, industry sources were suggesting that Daniel Craig could be starring in the next big screen version, set for November 2026! There have been multiple adaptations over the years, from an excellent BBC Radio play to two TV versions, the Walden Media movie and a fun version “in the round” in London back in 2012.

The current touring play – which started life in 2017 at Leeds Playhouse before spending a couple of seasons in the West End – is probably the best yet. It walks the fine line between respecting Lewis’ original text – there are whole scenes that are lifted directly off the page – and making it accessible for 21st century audiences. From the opening doodling on the piano by the MD – played live on stage, as so much of the excellent music is – to the rambunctious finale, it’s thoroughly engaging, with some incredible puppetry (two sizes of cat), magic and stage wizardry, and some knowing winks to the audience (the travel through the “portal” feels like a mix of the Time/Space Vortex from Doctor Who and the effects used for the Stargate). There’s an almost cinematic feel to it, with a live score as well as some catchy numbers.

But all that magic is useless if you don’t empathise with the characters. Interestingly, no credit is given in the programme to the scriptwriter; Michael Fentiman is credited as director, based on the original production by Sally Cookson. The opening quarter of an hour establishes the characters of the four siblings with some strong acting from all four, including understudy Molly Francis who stepped in as Lucy for this performance, before Lucy’s fateful trip through the wardrobe. Each of the characters comes alive in the telling – and here’s where a lot of the accretions to Lewis’ text arise (the animal resistance is hysterically funny at times) – and Katy Stephens seems to channel Sheila Hancock’s White Witch from the often overlooked UK dub of the Bill Melendez animated cartoon from the late 70s. I won’t spoil how Aslan is portrayed, but it works very well.

It’s very much an ensemble show – the actors are listed alphabetically in the programme, and everyone on stage seems to be handling multiple different roles, from lead character to stagehand to musician (I couldn’t help laughing when Mr Beaver produced a trumpet… which led into a brilliant Danny Elfman pastiche for Edmund’s delirium as he travels to the Witch’s palace).

Verdict: 75 years young, this is a Narnia for the 21st century – if it plays near you, it’s definitely worth the trip. 10/10

Paul Simpson