Stourbridge-born theatre producer Chris Harper shares details of his upcoming The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe show

Chris’s work is very impressive to say the least. Company, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, War Horse and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof are all examples of Chris’s outstanding shows and there are so many, many more. 

One of his recent projects, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, based on C.S. Lewis’s wonderful book of the same name, is heading to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on October 28, and is set to delight audiences with a visually and emotionally stunning experience, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the story.

But where did it all begin for Chris? 

“If it weren’t for my drama teacher, Beryl Luckins at The Grange School in Stourbridge, I’d have never had a career in the theatre. She ran this drama department which was so good and they say you never forget a good teacher, and she was amazing, the greatest.

“I knew I loved the theatre, but I didn’t think that someone like me who grew up on a council estate would ever be allowed to work in theatre, but she said to follow my dreams and do the thing I wanted to do to make me happy. I owe my entire career to her.”

Curiously, Chris did not really train professionally. “My drama teacher was my only training,” he said. “When I left school she encouraged me to get some work experience at Birmingham Rep and I managed to get a foot in the door aged 14 and when I left school, the offered me a job and I never looked back.”

Although Chris is humble about his talent to produce shows, it is clear he is extremely talented. To have the foresight to know which shows are likely to be successful and to have the organisational skills to produce complex works and handle every aspect of a production is not easy. 

“In the case of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, I loved the book when I was a kid," said Chris. “I remember so vividly all those BBC productions of it and I fell in love with it.

“When I produced War Horse at The National Theatre, I think it worked so well because it was a brilliant book, and so when I was looking at what I might like to do next, and because I have kids [Chris is a single father of nine-year-old twins, who are clearly his world], I wanted to do something that would involve young adults and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is perfect.

"It is a really good book which people love, with a talking lion, flying, magic, children, and there is something very theatrical about going into a wardrobe and into another world, all this drew me to doing it."

The process of bringing this unique production to the stage has been a lengthy one. Initially Chris approached the estate of C.S. Lewis to ask permission to produce the show and that took about four years to complete and then of course Chris needed to assemble the right team to direct, choreograph and musically supervise it.

“I have been working on it for about nine years in all,” said Chris. “A producer’s job is a long and short one because once you have an idea for something, you have to keep on doing it until eventually someone says yes, and then the job really begins of making it happen.” 

There is so much more to producing a show that you may be aware of. It is hard work, often long hours and the strength of mind and positivity required are essential. 

“I wanted this production to be big and I wanted it to feel like an event. We use actor/musicians, so as well as acting, singing and dancing you have 22 people playing different musical instruments on stage and so there is a lot of theatricality.

“Then we have some incredible puppets courtesy of one of the original puppeteers in War Horse. Aslan the Lion is a massive puppet operated by three actors.

"And on top of singing, dancing, acting and operating puppets we also get our performers to fly too. When I go to the theatre, I want a visceral experience and that is what I have tried to give people. All of the theatrical tools we have in the theatrical toolbox, we have rolled out in this production."

I asked what Chris thought was the most important quality required to be a successful theatre producer. “Positivity and patience. You get an awful lot of 'no’s along the way and you never know what you are going to be doing from one day to the next. You have to be tenacious and really have a passion for it because it is emotionally and financially expensive and so you have to have nerves of steel and belief to really get you through.

“On opening night though you think 'yes, that is why I do it'. I love standing at the back of the theatre on opening night and watching the audience come in and I love that brief second before the curtain goes up, that feeling of anticipation of an entire audience going on a journey with a bunch of actors and telling the story together, I find that really fascinating,” said Chris. So do I. 

Chris has a whole host of musicals and plays currently in development which he was unable to tell me about for now, but I am convinced there is much more outstanding and captivating theatre to come. 

“I have always been drawn to stories that take you on an emotional journey, about family, partly because of my own experiences. I love musicals and I love plays and so I feel very fortunate that I get to choose the things I want to do. Nothing is out of reach because the thing with theatre is that you have to believe that everything is within reach,” said Chris. There is that positivity we were talking about!

I wondered if Chris had an old show in mind he might like to revive.

“One that I love is West Side Story. I don’t think you would want to modernise it though because it is extraordinary. I am currently working on Othello with Toby Jones and David Harewood in the West End. The thing about Shakespeare is that it constantly surprises you. You can do it in so many different ways and it can feel completely current and relevant even if you don’t set it in a modern production.”

Back at The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Chris’s twins have decided it is their favourite show. “They have seen it so many times and they love it,” he said. Well if seen through the eyes of two nine-year olds, the show is that good, it will do for me too!

Interesting, in his 40 years of working in theatre, this is the first time Chris has produced a show at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre and we just cannot wait for him to bring this piece of pure fantasy to our city. 

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe runs from October 28 to November 1. For tickets visit grandtheatre.co.uk or call 01902 429212 to book.

For more information on our local hero, Chris Harper, visit chrisharperproductions.com.