I went on a magical journey at Milton Keynes Theatre - my review of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe opened at Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday July 22 and if you have a ticket to this show you are in for a treat.
It was a magical journey, albeit one that departed a few minutes late, but it was great to be onboard.
The stage show is based on the novel by C S Lewis, which is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary, and follows four children Peter (Jesse Dunbar), Susan (Joanna Adaran), Edmund (Bunmi Osadolor) and Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe), who are evacuated from London and sent to live in a large house in the English countryside.
Inside the house, they enter a wardrobe and discover the magical world of Narnia.
These characters were the centre of the show and although they were all played by adults, gave thoroughly believable performances.
A special mention should go to Bunmi Osadolor, whose role as Edmund is his professional stage debut.
The choreography, costumes and special effects were all fabulous, as you were transported seamlessly from ‘the real world’ of the house to ‘the fantasy land’ of Narnia.
The instrumental music being performed live on stage added to the atmosphere, and during all the movement on stage there was no sign of any missteps.
I particularly enjoyed the part of Mr Tumnus, played by Alfie Richards, who got a spontaneous round of applause for his flute playing during a scene with Susan, the first of the children to enter the wardrobe.
The White Witch, played by Katy Stephens, filled the stage with her flowing dress, particularly when hovering from the ceiling, while The Professor, played by Kraig Thornber, was a wonderfully calming presence offering wise words of wisdom.
If I had been watching when I was seven or eight, I may have found her character slightly scary, but there was no sign of that in the theatre on opening night.
During the interval, I heard a child in the foyer singing ‘beware the witch’ meaning the songs were clearly leaving their mark with the younger members of the audience.
It was a wonderful couple of hours of escapism and brought back a few memories, having read the book as a child.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is running at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday July 22 to Saturday July 26.
Performances take place at 7pm each night and from 2pm on July 23, 24 and 26. Tickets are still available now starting from £27.