Directors Gemma Hurst and Georgina Anwyl lead us on a delightful romp through time and space with Glyn Roberts’ adaptation of the well-loved C.S. Lewis tale.
Siblings Peter (Carl Latham), Susan (Victoria Turnock), Edmund (Connor Jones) and Lucy (Zoe Marras) are evacuees staying at the house of the Professor (Zoran Blackie) and his housekeeper, Mrs McCready (Jenny Snell). When Lucy steps into the wardrobe and out again into the magical world of Narnia, a land of Beavers (Andrew Parsons; Victoria Grimbly) and Leopards (Ife Babatunde; Elise Ng) amongst other animals, where she meets fawns, Mr Tumnus (Aslan Herzen) and Mrs Tumnus (Samra Uddin). All is not well though as The White Witch (Snell), assisted by her Wolves (Juliet Shreeve; Lydia Byrne; Heather Robinson; Ray Ormsby; Michelle Connell), terrorises all.
It soon becomes clear that Aslan (Blackie) will need more than the help of Father Christmas (Neil Robinson) if the creatures of Narnia are to survive and thrive, so he seeks the assistance of the four children. But will it be enough, and will it be in time?
The biggest challenge for any production of this play is getting the wardrobe to function as the portal between worlds and whilst there was a brave attempt here, it did suffer from some opening night teething issues which can hopefully be resolved, along with some other minor staging challenges encountered on the night.
The costumes and make-up were well considered and particularly effective for the beavers and fawns. Character movement sequences in Narnia were cleverly thought through although perhaps needed a little more space to work in, whilst the fight sequences were well choreographed. I enjoyed the immersive approach from the off as the cast emerged from the audience and there was further good use of this space later on, much to the audience’s delight.
All the cast performed well with special mention for Blackie’s composed Professor and charismatic Aslan, and Herzen’s spirited fawn which showed good characterisation and movement. Standout on the night was Parsons who not only looked the part as Mr Beaver but also served up a fine acting performance which I really enjoyed.
The balance of the production overall was just right with liberal servings of sinisterness perfectly offset by the promise of hope with some good comedic moments delivered well by the cast and which young and old will enjoy in equal measure.
The production is dedicated to the memory of a much-loved friend and member of the company, Ken Allen, who is fondly remembered for his acting performances as well as his set design and construction.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe plays at St Hilda’s Church on 13th December at 7.30 pm and on 14th December at 11.00 am, 3.00 pm, and 7.00 pm. Further details and tickets www.ticketsource.co.uk/woolton-drama-group
Woolton Drama Group is a community amdram group based in Hunts Cross, Liverpool, who have been putting on shows, plays and pantomimes in the area for over sixty years. Further details including their next production of Sleeping Beauty in January 2025 https://www.wooltondramagroup.co.uk/
Reviewer: Mark Davoren
Reviewed: 12th December 2025
North West End UK Rating: