REVIEW
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
CLIFFS PAVILION
SOUTHEND
TUES 15-SAT 18 APRIL 2025
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
CLIFFS PAVILION
SOUTHEND
TUES 15-SAT 18 APRIL 2025
Thanks to the book, television and film productions, the play, the musical and in the pipeline, believe it or not, Lego characters, few have not read, watched or heard of this magical, mystical and at times, wondrous story set in a fictitious parallel world, Narnia.
Written for his goddaughter, Lucy, in 1950 by Charles Staples Lewis (Professor Kirke?), this second adventure of six, has fascinated young imaginations for three-quarters of a century and if this production is any indication, a full century and beyond looks safe and sound.
The story is set in wartime England, where four young siblings, Lucy and Susan, Peter and Edmund are evacuated to the safety of Scotland. It's not long before Lucy hides in a wardrobe which is in fact a portal to another world. Narnia.
Narnia is a magical land in which communicating robins and beavers, dwarves and fawns, lions and wolves, play out a battle of Good and Evil, figure headed by the four young humans and the good-but-not-safe-lion, Aslan, contrasted with the wolf, menacing Maugrin and the grotesquely evil White Witch, Jadis.
This fabulous production unfolds its magical yarn in the most creative, ethereal but simple ways, using light, illusion, misdirection and sheer creative genius over all the theatre performing and technical disciplines.
The dance and movement is flawless and so congruent with the story and minimalistic set. The soundtrack, together with the on stage musicians-actors-singers, produce a score which captures the ambience perfectly while dipping their toes, musically speaking, into a soundtrack that alludes to such a variety of musical styles including folksong, medieval plainsong, Celtic pulsing rhythm and modes, Southern Jazz (Dixie), classical and avantguard discordant atmospherics worthy of any film soundtrack. Mr. Tumnus' pipes and voice (appropriately slightly Peter Gabrielesque and provided by Alfie Richards) capture the sheer enchantment of this production. The composite-creatives both on and off stage, that clearly work as a single team-like unit are hugely deserving of its standing ovation.
Musical Theatre has long since asked direct questions (Problem-Maria?). However it is the indirect questions that, for me, are most interesting. Such as: How do you bring a flying car onto the stage? How can a show, performed totally on skates or by cats, be produced effectively? Questions like these together with ingenious problem solving have propelled musical theatre forward in the last half century.
This show puzzled me with all sorts of indirect questions, including:
How to create a railway platform filled with a myriad of evacuee children and worried broken-hearted parents, while including a steam locomotive that takes the focal-family on the arduous 1930's journey to Scotland?
How do you create an austere war time room with a seemingly innocent wardrobe, lengthily-lined with fur coats which is in fact a portal that gives way to another world covered in snow in a never ending wintery wonderland?
How do you create a majestic speaking lion and the thoroughly realistic battle scene that brings this piece to its culmination?
This and more, is achieved, at times in staggeringly simple but extraordinarily seamless and effective ways.
This show is superb entertainment for the whole family (with the exception of very young children due such realistically menacing fight scenes). For children this magical story's appeal has spoken for itself for decades. But for adults, is this merely a great story with great stage effects, filled with sublime performances or is there much more to think about than its unfolding plot, creative skill and personal entertainment?
Early in the show Professor Kirke compares minds and parachutes, concluding that they are only useful... when open! Similarly this show provokes questions to ponder including the possibility of the existence of a simultaneous and mystical universe beyond our own and the less obvious, but very Easter-appropriate, allusion to the humble, self-sacrificing universe-saving King found in Aslan?
I cannot recommend this production more highly. Bravo.
Review: Chas Sludden
Written for his goddaughter, Lucy, in 1950 by Charles Staples Lewis (Professor Kirke?), this second adventure of six, has fascinated young imaginations for three-quarters of a century and if this production is any indication, a full century and beyond looks safe and sound.
The story is set in wartime England, where four young siblings, Lucy and Susan, Peter and Edmund are evacuated to the safety of Scotland. It's not long before Lucy hides in a wardrobe which is in fact a portal to another world. Narnia.
Narnia is a magical land in which communicating robins and beavers, dwarves and fawns, lions and wolves, play out a battle of Good and Evil, figure headed by the four young humans and the good-but-not-safe-lion, Aslan, contrasted with the wolf, menacing Maugrin and the grotesquely evil White Witch, Jadis.
This fabulous production unfolds its magical yarn in the most creative, ethereal but simple ways, using light, illusion, misdirection and sheer creative genius over all the theatre performing and technical disciplines.
The dance and movement is flawless and so congruent with the story and minimalistic set. The soundtrack, together with the on stage musicians-actors-singers, produce a score which captures the ambience perfectly while dipping their toes, musically speaking, into a soundtrack that alludes to such a variety of musical styles including folksong, medieval plainsong, Celtic pulsing rhythm and modes, Southern Jazz (Dixie), classical and avantguard discordant atmospherics worthy of any film soundtrack. Mr. Tumnus' pipes and voice (appropriately slightly Peter Gabrielesque and provided by Alfie Richards) capture the sheer enchantment of this production. The composite-creatives both on and off stage, that clearly work as a single team-like unit are hugely deserving of its standing ovation.
Musical Theatre has long since asked direct questions (Problem-Maria?). However it is the indirect questions that, for me, are most interesting. Such as: How do you bring a flying car onto the stage? How can a show, performed totally on skates or by cats, be produced effectively? Questions like these together with ingenious problem solving have propelled musical theatre forward in the last half century.
This show puzzled me with all sorts of indirect questions, including:
How to create a railway platform filled with a myriad of evacuee children and worried broken-hearted parents, while including a steam locomotive that takes the focal-family on the arduous 1930's journey to Scotland?
How do you create an austere war time room with a seemingly innocent wardrobe, lengthily-lined with fur coats which is in fact a portal that gives way to another world covered in snow in a never ending wintery wonderland?
How do you create a majestic speaking lion and the thoroughly realistic battle scene that brings this piece to its culmination?
This and more, is achieved, at times in staggeringly simple but extraordinarily seamless and effective ways.
This show is superb entertainment for the whole family (with the exception of very young children due such realistically menacing fight scenes). For children this magical story's appeal has spoken for itself for decades. But for adults, is this merely a great story with great stage effects, filled with sublime performances or is there much more to think about than its unfolding plot, creative skill and personal entertainment?
Early in the show Professor Kirke compares minds and parachutes, concluding that they are only useful... when open! Similarly this show provokes questions to ponder including the possibility of the existence of a simultaneous and mystical universe beyond our own and the less obvious, but very Easter-appropriate, allusion to the humble, self-sacrificing universe-saving King found in Aslan?
I cannot recommend this production more highly. Bravo.
Review: Chas Sludden
Aslan the Lion is lost in Southend!
Join the hunt to help him get to the Cliffs Pavilion for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Live on Stage
Join the hunt to help him get to the Cliffs Pavilion for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Live on Stage
The fantastic stage show of C. S. Lewis’ best loved children’s novel, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is heading to the Cliffs Pavilion this April. Aslan the Lion is on his way to join the Pevensie children and tell their story live on stage, however there is just one problem: Aslan the Lion is lost in Southend and can’t find his way! The Cliffs Pavilion are asking children across the city to help find him.
From 4 to 15 April 2025 the search is on to find 10 Aslans hidden in all sorts of places across the city centre and help guide him to the Theatre! To join the adventure, head to the Cliffs Pavilion website (thecliffspavilion.co.uk) and download a free clue sheet. Take this on your quest down Southend High Street and around Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, spot a sticker, write down its hiding place and once all ten Lions have been found, head to the Cliffs Pavilion and hand in your answer sheet. All completed answer forms will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe goody bags. A further six winners will receive a copy of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe paperback book.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe live stage show celebrates the 75th anniversary of Lewis’ classic story. Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter, the Pevensie children step through the wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia and meet new friends, face dangerous foes, and learn the lessons of courage, sacrifice and the power of love. This spectacular production is a delight for all ages.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Tue 15 – Sat 19 April 7pm
Wed, Thu and Sat Mats 2pm
Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road, Southend-on-Sea
Thecliffspavilion.co.uk
From 4 to 15 April 2025 the search is on to find 10 Aslans hidden in all sorts of places across the city centre and help guide him to the Theatre! To join the adventure, head to the Cliffs Pavilion website (thecliffspavilion.co.uk) and download a free clue sheet. Take this on your quest down Southend High Street and around Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, spot a sticker, write down its hiding place and once all ten Lions have been found, head to the Cliffs Pavilion and hand in your answer sheet. All completed answer forms will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe goody bags. A further six winners will receive a copy of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe paperback book.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe live stage show celebrates the 75th anniversary of Lewis’ classic story. Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter, the Pevensie children step through the wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia and meet new friends, face dangerous foes, and learn the lessons of courage, sacrifice and the power of love. This spectacular production is a delight for all ages.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Tue 15 – Sat 19 April 7pm
Wed, Thu and Sat Mats 2pm
Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road, Southend-on-Sea
Thecliffspavilion.co.uk