The Sixth Form performed C.S. Lewis’ famous children’s classic tale, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (six months after originally planned due to Covid restrictions) with two nights of mesmerising performances in front of a captivated audience. In this spellbound landscape, filled with creatures of myth and fable, the evacuees face temptation and fear, but learn deep lessons of courage, unselfishness and wisdom that help them grow in spirit and prepare them for life in our world. The music score was composed specifically by our Senior House music teacher to aide the choreography of a real-life wardrobe, trees and an impressive fight scene and the feel of the play as a whole.
The play is a dramatisation of the first and most famous of acclaimed British author C.S Lewis’ world-renowned series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It tells of four siblings sent away from London during World War II to stay in the manor house of their uncle. The children stumble upon (and through) a wardrobe into the magical kingdom of Narnia, held in the power of the White Witch, whose evil spell has frozen the land, so that it is ‘always winter – and never Christmas’. They are embraced by the talking animals, the good Narnians who resist the Witch’s evil and await the return of Aslan – the Great Lion, who is their rightful ruler. The children are soon caught up in a fierce struggle of good versus evil.
One of the Sixth Form described the experience: ‘I played Professor Kirk and it was so much fun. I loved really living the role and turning into the character. It was truly a magical experience.’ A member of the audience remarked, ‘It was an absolutely marvellous performance - huge congratulations and sincere thanks - quite an achievement!’ and another said, ‘What a very magical two evenings we were treated to. The play allowed us to glimpse the amazing, mature young people our children are becoming. With all of the cast, I forgot who was playing who as I watched, so immersed and comfortable were they in their characters.’
