‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' review
This review is from 2019. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe returns for 2025 in a production based upon Sally Cookson's original that's redirected by Michael Fentiman, with set and costume design by Tom Paris. Katy Stephens stars as the White Witch.
Kind of caught halfway between 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Wind in the Willows', it's fair to say that CS Lewis's 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' – with its well-spoken child heroes, twee talking animals and heavy Christian vibes – can be left looking a bit old-fashioned.
Endlessly adapted long before the current era of sophisticated CGI-driven fantasy, has its time passed now that everything from 'His Dark Materials' to 'The Wheel of Time' is being adapted for the telly? Truthfully, the answer to that question probably lies with the fate of Netflix's imminent lavish adaptation. But for now, we have a very smart stage version from Sally Cookson, that balances the stiff-upper-lipped charms of the book with a real sense of the encroaching wildness – even madness – of the fantastical kingdom of Narnia.
The opening section is jolly hockey sticks à gogo, with the audience cast as wartime child evacuees, spirited away from the Blitz on the same train as Lewis's young heroes the Pevensies. By the end, it's become something that feel rapturously wild, as Narnia awakes in a frenzy of colour and feeling from the century-long magical winter placed on it by Laura Elphinstone's sleekly malevolent White Witch.
Yes, Lewis shoved loaded, fairly blatant Christian allegory into his story, chiefly in the death and resurrection of the noble lion Aslan. But it was never as straightforward as 'The Bible'-but-with-lions, and Cookson's take feels more indebted to ancient rites of death and rebirth that Christianity absorbed. Aslan, in particular, is out there, a glowing-eyed psychedelic monstrosity with blue wings that looks like a fusion of lion and dragon, with a human avatar in the form of musclebound, fur-clad Wil Johnson, who's more barbarian shaman than Christian priest.
It if it's not as overly dark as many fantasy books, it's perhaps easiest to remember it for all the cute stuff at the beginning, as the youngest of the children, Lucy, steps through a wardrobe into snowbound Narnia and befriends the neurotic faun Mr Tumnus. It's harder, perhaps, to recollect that by the end a sort of strange incarnation of Father Christmas has given the kids real weapons and they have engaged in a bloody fight to the death with the White Witch's army of demons.
Indebted more to childhood fantasies of pretend sword battles than grim psychological realism, the journey from youthful innocence to stabbing killer wolves in the face is a pretty full-on trajectory to realise on stage, and with the exception of John Leaders's uptight Edmund, the Pevensies here don't really make the impression that the lion or the witch do.
But if a slight lack of psychological acuity is the trade-off for embracing the full-on weirdness of the book, it's worth it. Cookson and designer Rae Smith delight in the novel's eccentricities rather than fight them: their Narnia is a DIY-inflected nirvana where a very funny sight gag about talking animals communicating via cans on strings can sit next to Elphinstone being genuinely terrifying, swelling to enormous height as cackling fiends gather around her.
Pretty much everything in the book is retained, and if the first half slightly struggles to find a coherent tone to process it all, in the second half it arrives at its destination – a wilderness of pure imagination, unshackled, ecstatic and pagan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Woman, 32, arrested over fatal hit-and-run of Netflix star Sara Burack in Hamptons
A 32-year-old Virginia woman has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of a popular Netflix actress, authorities said. Amanda Kempton was charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident in connection to the hit-and-run death of Million Dollar Beach House star Sara Burack, according to the Southampton Town Police Department. Burack, 40, a real estate agent and former reality television personality was struck by a vehicle shortly before 3:00 am on Montauk Highway near Villa Paul Restaurant in Hampton Bays, New York. Emergency responders found her critically injured at the scene, and she later died at Stony Brook University Hospital due to severe trauma, including head injuries and multiple fractures. The vehicle involved fled the scene, prompting a large-scale search by local and state authorities. Following an extensive manhunt led by the Southampton Town Police Department and the New York State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit, Kempton was taken into custody. She has been charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, a Class D felony under New York State law. If convicted, she faces up to four years in prison. Law enforcement officials have not yet disclosed details about how Kempton was identified as a suspect. Kempton is scheduled to be arraigned on Saturday as the investigation remains active, according to the New York Post. Public officials have urged anyone with additional information about the incident to contact Southampton Town Police, as the full circumstances surrounding the event are still under investigation, local outlet, Dan's Papers reported. Sara Burack was a licensed real estate broker with experience in the luxury real estate market. In addition to her professional accomplishments, she gained national visibility as a cast member on the Netflix series Million Dollar Beach House. Burack was also active in charitable work, including fundraising for leukemia research and animal rescue initiatives. Her sudden death has elicited an outpouring of grief from friends, former colleagues, and members of the entertainment and real estate communities. 'I want people to remember she was an amazing person who really cared for people,' close family friend and fellow realtor Paulette Corsair told Newsday. 'She was a hardworking real estate agent who was there for others. She was loved greatly by her friends and a close family.'
The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Swimmers' annual nude plunge into chilly Tasmanian river marks the winter solstice – and Dark Mofo's revival
Swimmers have stripped off and raced into chilly waters on the shortest day of the year. Wearing nothing but red swim caps, 3,000 courageous souls took the annual nude sunrise plunge into Hobart's River Derwent to mark the winter solstice. The air temperature was about 10C as the naked pack took to the water at 7.40am on Saturday, sparking shrieks and yells of anguish. Liz Cannard, who has been travelling around Tasmania for nearly four months with her husband, said she was petrified before taking the dip. 'I'm not a strong swimmer and I don't take my gear off for anybody ... so I've ticked off a couple of things today,' the Geelong resident said. Lizzy Nash from Sydney was also in the mood for a bit of carpe diem. 'It's about seizing the moment, seizing life and being inspired,' she said. 'This is the sort of thing that motivates you to want to do more and challenge yourself. It was awe-inspiring and I absolutely loved it.' The free swim is part of the Dark Mofo festival and started with just a few hundred participants in 2013. Melburnian Belinda Chambers said she had been watching people do it on television for years and decided to work remotely from Tasmania for the festival so she could stay and leave on a high. 'So exhilarating,' she said. 'I was nervous, but there was this almost primal moment of everyone being together that carries you along, and a sense of pure happiness.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Dark Mofo has returned to its full pomp in 2025, after running a reduced program in 2024 so it could find a more sustainable financial model. The festival's artistic director, Chris Twite, said the swim was a tremendous way to bring things to a close. 'The response in 2025 has been incredible,' he said. 'The streets of Hobart have come alive with locals and visitors celebrating winter and Dark Mofo again.' More than 103,000 tickets were sold to Dark Mofo events in 2025, generating $4.6m. The festival has made a name for itself by courting controversy and in 2018 drew the ire of some by installing inverted Christian crosses along Hobart's waterfront.
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sam Smith puts on a quirky display in purple shorts and loafers as they enjoy a solo summer stroll through the streets of New York
Sam Smith put on a quirky display in purple shorts and loafers as they enjoyed a solo summer stroll through the streets of New York on Friday. The singer, 32, showcased their unique sense of style as they stepped out in sport shorts and a black vest top. They paired their relaxed look with black leather slip on flats and black socks as they seemed to enjoy some music during their walk. To accessorise the performer kept a low profile in a pair of black tinted sunglasses which they paired with a cap worn backwards and their expertly groomed moustache. Earlier this year Sam and singer Kesha supported their fashion designer boyfriend, Christian Cowan as he debuted his fall/winter 2025 collection at NYFW. They have been dating since 2022 after meeting when Christian collaborated with Sam on the costumes for their music video, I'm Not Here to Make Friends. Christian, whose clientele includes A-list stars Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B and Heidi Klum, confirmed his romance with Sam with a kiss in January 2023 as the two walked together arm-in-arm in New York. It marks Sam's first public relationship since their split from 13 Reasons Why actor Brandon Flynn, 30, and after they came out as non-binary in 2019. In 2019, Sam revealed that they identify as non-binary and asked to be addressed by the pronouns they/them instead of he/him. Sam wrote on Instagram at the time: 'After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I've decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out.' Speaking about their gender, Sam added: 'I'm not male or female, I think I flow somewhere in between. It's all on the spectrum.' The singer, known for hits Dancing With a Stranger, Too Good At Goodbyes and 2015 Bond track Writing's on the Wall, also said they are open to dating whomever they fall in love with. 'I generally have never really thought about people, any human beings, in rigid terms,' they shared. 'I've grown up in a family where the gender power balance and all these things were completely shifted. 'My mum worked, my dad was a househusband. 'My sisters are incredibly strong women.' As well as their romance with Brandon Flynn, Sam also dated Jonathan Zeizel and thanked the model for 'breaking their heart' because it led to four Grammy wins. Sam penned the track Stay With Me following their split and later vowed never to 'fall in love again with someone who doesn't love me back'.
