Review: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Oakengates Theatre

A 60-strong cast of young people took to the stage at Oakengates Theatre for four shows this weekend, staging an adaption of CS Lewis's much-loved classic which had first been performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The young performers threw themselves into the play, which included much of the story of the book as well as a handful of songs, which gave Tact's singers and dancers the chance to show off their talents.

Standout

Although the set and costumes were simple, the drama was never boring, and the full house at Oakengates Theatre on Saturday evening appreciated every minute of the show. Standout performances by Stacey Shenton – who shared the role of Lucy with Phoebe Standley – and Chloe Newnes as the White Witch – both of whom had fantastic singing voices as well as oodles of acting talent – were as good as any you could see on the West End Stage.

The performance was all the more remarkable considering the theatre company only performed its first show in 2011. The first show starred just four actors and played to an audience of 50 – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe played in front of hundreds of people with a cast of more than 60.

From the moment the audience sat down they were immersed in the story.

Unusually, the drama began well before the lights were dimmed, as small groups of children gathered with their mothers on the stage to the sound effects of trains pulling into a station and smoke from the trains blowing across the set. All off the characters carried gas mask boxes, setting the scene and pulling the audience into the era of air raids and evacuations before a single word was spoken.

Even the announcement to turn off mobile phones was kept in character, with a voice speaking BBC English informing theatre goers that as this was the 1940s, there were no such things as mobile phones or digital cameras. This set the tone for a highly entertaining evening which, although it lasted just 90 minutes, was superb from start to finish.

Live music was provided by a small band, led by pianist, producer and director Ross Doodson, and recorded music from the BBC's 1980s mini-series of the story also helped set the mood throughout.

Mr Doodson said: "The enchanting Chronicles of Narnia have captured the imagination of children and adults alike for many years. I was first introduced to the world of Narnia through the BBC mini-series. Barbara Kellerman as the White Witch thrilled and terrified me in equal measure, and it is this world of both fear and hope that we set out to capture.

"It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such a talented team of actors. We have welcomed many new members to both our cast and production team over the last term and they have all made invaluable contributions to the company."

Review by Pam Griffin