The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Hull New Theatre

When C S Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, he couldn’t have envisaged that the second in the series, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, would still be entertaining folk 75 years after it was first published.

To celebrate the anniversary, this week Hull New Theatre plays host to the West End smash-hit production and, taking my seat on Tuesday night, I noticed theatregoers of all ages in attendance. 

Before curtain up we were entertained by a pianist, tinkling the ivories of an upright piano and dressed as a Second World War air raid warden, complete with steel helmet and overcoat. 

As the strains of We’ll Meet Again rang out, this first scene, on a darkened, misty stage, brought the Second World War years into focus.

The story centres around the four Pevensie siblings – Peter (Jesse Dunbar), Susan (Joanna Adaran), Edmund (Bunmi Osadolor) and Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe) – who are transported away from the city bombing, to the safer countryside.

Their transportation is amazing to watch, the bustling crowds being mostly instrument-playing musicians – a great way for us to enjoy these talented crew, who also sang and danced whilst playing, throughout the production.  

A memorable scene showed the youngsters’ steam train journey – the “train” consisted of carriages, red lights glowing inside the windows, with each carriage being held aloft by anonymous figures, who weaved them up and down; all behind an engine that billowed white steam.

At their destination, the four are met by the formidable figure of a Mrs Macready (Katy Stephens), who lays down the law as she escorts them to their temporary home.

Luckily, this harridan is only the housekeeper to the kindly, entertaining homeowner, The Professor (Kraig Thornber).

His fun side also appears during his dual role as Father Christmas, a jolly red-clad figure adding a touch of colour to the mainly white and muted costumes worn by many of the cast.

A static part of this fast-moving show is an old wooden wardrobe that Lucy finds in a spare room in the Professor’s house. Deciding to hide in there one day she walks through, coming out the other side into a wonderland of snow filled with wondrous, talking woodland creatures – inhabitants of the magical kingdom of Narnia.

Her first encounter is with a Mr Tumnus (one of three roles on the night for Alfie Richards), a faun living in fear of the cruel White Witch, Jadis (a second role for Katy Stephens).

But Mr Tumnus is only the first of many creatures who the four siblings meet as they all enter Narnia. 

The land has suffered a 100-year winter, thanks to Jadis, who rules with an icy wand.

The Pevensie children’s arrival is seen by the downtrodden Narnia animals as a sign of the beginning of the end of the Queen’s reign. And the catalyst for the return of their saviour, Aslan the lion.

Thanks to amazing puppeteers, Aslan appears as a huge, metallic-looking creature with a massive head and forelegs, plus a swishing tail. Operated by dark-clad puppeteers, they never distracted from the lion, voiced by Stanton Wright, walking alongside.

Lucy, Peter, Edmund and Susan find themselves, literally, fighting for their lives in their quest to help the creatures bring Spring back to Narnia.

Do they succeed? Do they all survive? And what lessons do they learn from their ordeal?

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is a joyful, energetic extravaganza featuring a  talented cast, many of whom danced, sang, played musical instruments while dressed in wonderful animal costumes. No easy task.

All the four youngsters played the Pevensie children with the perfect mix of personalities; arguing and fighting amongst themselves, yet fiercely protective of each other in times of danger.

Katy Stephens showed bravery as the Queen, riding in her huge carriage, and at one time being hoisted up high, only to drop down at speed to disappear in the mist. Just one of many special effects on the night which included moving multi-bulb lamps and dancing pieces of red Turkish Delight to name just a few. 

Such special effects brought even more interest to the stage, a stage circled by a strip of light with a backdrop of a huge round opening through which characters appeared now and again.

It’s Narnia, so snow fell at times, with floating, white, voluminous material adding to the impression of cold.

Space prevents me from naming all of the cast, many of whom had multiple roles, but Mr Beaver (Ed Thorpe), attracted more of my attention as he had some of the most amusing lines.

Apart from the aforementioned We’ll Meet Again, I didn’t recognise any of the songs sung on the night, but that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy them; especially when sung so enthusiastically.

The songs, composed by Barnaby Race and Benji Bower, had a lively, folksy feel and added enormously to proceedings.

At the show’s end, many in the audience stood, showing their appreciation with their loud applause and cheers. Bravo to all concerned.

Age guidance 6+

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe runs until Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Hull New Theatre with tickets available from www.hulltheatres.co.uk or by calling (01482) 300306

Reviewer: Jackie Foottit

Reviewed: 30th September 2025

North West End UK Rating: