The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe UK Tour Review
The acclaimed production continues to enchant audiences of all ages on tour
The lion walks…
As the longer days of Spring roar in, so does Aslan - the famous symbol of vivacious life in C.S. Lewis’ timeless novel The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - a title that has seen many an adaptation through the years for its fantastical story. Firmly rooted in modern literature prose, the source material lends itself quite naturally to adaptations beyond the page from screen to stage, so it doesn't come as a surprise that the latest iteration of Sally Cookson's 2017 stage adaptation reworked by Michael Fentiman, would return for a second national tour following successful engagements including in the West End.
The faithful interpretation follows the story of four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy (worth noting that these common names might just intend to be relatable to the everyday British child at the time of Lewis penning the novel), who discover the magical, icy world of Narnia cursed by The White Witch through a spare room wardrobe portal in a professor's antique mansion, set in the midst of war outbreak. The social context is familiar of stories of a similar kind, where fantasy could be perceived as an escape to the horrors of war particularly from a juvenile perspective, where adventures to conquer icy powers and bring back warm light is symbolistic to the parallel conflicts occurring in the real world.
The distinctive feature of Fentiman's production is a cast of actor-musicians, who bring the story to life through live music (featuring both celtic and jazz influences) played on instruments while participating in fully choreographed numbers, essentially morphing into a play with music; this gives the cast, most of whom also doubles as vocalists and instrumentalists, the ability to manipulate the pace of the narrative as suited to each scene, facilitating scene and setting changes with fast-moving numbers while zooming in on key moments with stripped-back solos - a common benefit found in most actor-muso pieces the likes of Amélie (the London production also from the same director) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
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The cast is comprised of a multihyphenate group of individuals who share an engaging dynamic, embodying the saying ‘it takes a village to make a show happen’; the dualistic opposing forces are led by Katy Stephens - a convincingly authoritative White Witch, and a group of performers bringing the magnificent lion that is Aslan to life - puppeteers Andrew Davison, Molly Francis and Rhodri Watkins, joined by its human counterpart Stanton Wright. The wider company delivers the story in a way that both appeals to younger audiences (the rumours are true - there is indeed a singing Santa), but manages occasional witty remarks aimed at the grown-ups.
The part-devised piece is enhanced with delicate production value - unlike flashy commercial musicals, which employs all the technical tricks under their sleeves, this production uses a simple yet effective aesthetic to encourage suspense of disbelief; movement sequences from exposition to resolution (choreographed by Shanelle ‘Tali’ Fergus) makes for a highly stylised interpretation; Jack Knowles’ subtle lighting design complements Tom Paris’ circular set; all of which are underscored by the company with musical material from Barnaby Race, Benji Power and Samuel Wilson - when creative work behind the curtain collaborate in harmony, the resultant product is undoubtedly uplifted - a rarity despite the considerable challenges touring theatre presents.
A strong source material to be rewritten for the stage, the story faces a dash of panto-style humour and some cryptic scenes throughout, but audiences - fans of the book, film and all, will be entranced by the inviting nature of the stagecraft (deserving a shoutout for not attempting to cover the tricks of the trade involved; a wonderful way to attract young people to discover theatre), and the warmth against the cold of Narnia this version offers, wherever the tour lands across the nation.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is on tour until January 2026, reviewed at New Victoria Theatre, Woking, where the production plays until 29 March. For full dates and venue listings, visit the production website.
Tickets and Accessibility
🎟️ Tickets were kindly gifted by the venue with expectation of an honest, non-biased review. All opinions remain my own, without any input or approval from the venue or producers. Standard ticket prices vary by venue, with Woking tickets available from £15.
♾️ The show features a mostly gentle soundscape, with the use of amplified loud music and some sound effects such as a lion roar (speaker set-up varies by venue). There is one instance of bright flash paper use, but this does not produce any noise.