Review by Year 13 student Stella Bluck, images by Year 13 student Molly Whymark.
ON the evenings of June 15th and 16th, young actors at King’s Ely Junior wowed audiences with their brilliant production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, adapted from the book by C.S. Lewis.
After months of planning and rehearsing, Year 7 and 8 pupils took to the cleverly designed outdoor stage, consisting of two separate raised stages with plenty of space in between for the creative movement (choreographed by Natasha Hobbs), led by Zion Noble and performed by the ensemble.
Emily Chadwick’s direction is paced perfectly for the young cast, allowing them to truly grasp the personalities of their individual characters and revel in the applause of the appreciative audience.
The play was led confidently by the four lively Pevensie children: Quentin Mitchell as Peter, the eldest of the children, who matures into a courageous, noble young man during his first few days in Narnia. Hetty Guyer as Susan, the sweet and caring second oldest child who looks after her siblings throughout their journey. Tia Glenister as Edmund, the excellently portrayed spiteful and greedy brother who likes to tease his younger sister. And Eve Williams as Lucy: cheerful, kind and brave, played by someone who knew exactly when and how to react to each and every moment.
As The Professor and Mrs Macready, John Wilden and Rose Tisi brought the strict 1940’s household environment to life, settling us into the beginning of the play with their confident performances. Playing Mr Tumnus, Eve Kittoe was well-assured in her character, clearly delivering the internal conflict Mr Tumnus feels when he lets Lucy go, instead of reporting her to the White Witch. The White Witch herself was played excellently by Tallulah Bruce, who held a powerful command of the stage as she bought the evil, malicious character to life. Alexander Sturman and Isobel Guyer wonderfully portrayed the roles of Mr and Mrs Beaver, impressing the entire audience with their West Country accents.
Aslan, the noble king of Narnia, was voiced brilliantly by Dylan Morley, with John Wilden helping to work the giant puppet that truly brought the powerful character to life. Sienna Burley who played Maugrim, and William Kirkup who played the Wolf, delivered a menacing performance, sure to keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout. The Leopards, played by Jodi Newell and Cordelia Udy, added a slight touch of comedic relief with their playful interaction.
The principals were backed up by a strong ensemble, adding to the atmosphere and supporting the principals in all the important moments.
The evening was over far too soon, and the performance ended with a spontaneous applause. Overall, a great achievement of which the cast and production staff can all be rightly and justifiably proud.