THEATRE REVIEW: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe - The Lowry Theatre, Salford.

The best loved and most well known of C S Lewis's young people's adventure novels has been adapted for the stage and is the big, family show this Christmas at Salford's Lowry Theatre. After 'Lord Of The Rings', but before 'Harry Potter', C S Lewis stole the limelight for a brief period, with his imaginative fantasy novels, capturing just a single generation's imaginations. Sadly, they never really gained the popularity that others before and since have done, except perhaps the first completed of the books (although the second book in the actual series), 'The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe'.

This adaptation, by Leeds Playhouse, presents a stark and highly stylised picture of the story. A set of concentric circles of light (and magic) are the order of the day; although one does have the feling that this style / design or similar has been used before somewhere [Wind In The Willows / Chitty Chitty Bang Bang / Amelie]. As an adult watching this show, I was absolutely amazed by the cleverness and overall look of the set / costume / in fact all design elements. They all worked together to create this imagined world, but I couldn't stop thinking that this was very much an adult's interpretation of this world. The emphasis of the show being on the aesthetics, feel, and look, and not particularly on actually getting to the nitty-gritty of telling the story in a clear and effective way. 

Let me make it clear, this show, had it been targeted at an adult audience (as indeed the 'Lord Of The Rings' films are), then I would have stood at the end and applauded the show heartily; however, the target audience for this show is the tweenies - those who are not yet too old to love a litttle adventure and magic, but are not too young to be fazed by it all. In my quest for truth in this review, I made a point of finding young children both in the interval and after the show was over (and obviously asking their parents' permission first) asked them about the show and what they understood and what they liked. It is for them after all. Of all the children I asked, then only one, a 9-year-old girl, was able to tell me a very skeletal idea of the story / plot. The others simply didn't understand the story at all. One liked the act 1 finale as the witch is sent high up above the stage with a stream of white cloth trailing under her, but couldn't tell me much else; and whilst none of them were scared or put off by the darker, scarier parts of the show, as I expected they might have been, they were unable to tell me what they were or represented. Only one knew that the "magical" world of Narnia was accessible through a wardrobe in the old man's house. I would have thought that the telling of the story should have been paramount, nay, a prerequisite, for such a show. 

Fortunately the start of act 2 gives us a glimpse of what the show could have been like if it had been directed at the target audience, with a comedy moment as the snow starts to thaw, and a jolly jig of a dance with Father Christmas, but it soon returned to the darker imaginings of director Michael Fentiman. In fact, the whole show could quite easily be likened to a Cirque Du Soleil presentation. There was aerial, choreographed fighting, dance, magic, and the style of music and theatricality that that company are so very well known for.  

Did I enjoy the show? Yes, very much so, as did my companion for the evening. But we are adults, looking at the show with adult eyes with an adult perspective. There was nothing in the show to signify that we had entered a kind of everlasting Siberian Winter... no-one seemed cold, and the only hint was a pathetic dropping of a little fake snow. The change was signified only by the comedy routine at the start of act 2 and the very subtle dispensing of fur in The White Witch's costume as it went along. And once the sun and Spring finally overtook the snow and ice-filled land, the only change in the set was one of lighting from steels to straws. The whole show was an intellectual interpretation for an adult audience. 

I also would think that the youngsters would find it rather confusing having 2 Aslans. Every other animal character was portrayed by an actor /actress with a semblance of animal costume and behaviour, whilst Aslan was portrayed as a man who just happened to be standing by the side of a large puppet lion which looked nothing like a lion. In fact, it looked more like a merlion than anything... two large legs at the front tapering to a spindly tail at the rear with nothing in between... bizarre!

As a personal preference I always like to see children performing children's roles. As wonderful as the four adults were playing the roles of the Pevensie children, they were still adults, (even Karise Yansen making her professional debut as Lucy), and again, this confirmed the style of the whole show, and took the experience further away from the children in the audience. I should perhaps also mention that I doubt very much indeed whether a young girl in 1940's London would have been allowed to wear short trousers. 

In fact there is much more I should like to comment on in this production, but I fear if I did it may well become the longest review ever written, so I'll stop now.

VERDICT: A fantastic, thrilling, magical, exciting, highly stylised show for adults!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall

on - 9.12.21