Pictured: John Voth. Photo by Ron Reed.
Jessica Kim
The Chronicles of Narnia is more “classic” than any other works frequently discussed with it, such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, which were written decades later. It shows that it has withstood the test of time- and still more than relevant today.
I was expecting something different from Ron Reed’s adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Lucy and Peter Pevensie are older now, and as they revisit the wardrobe room, they revisit their old memories… and there, I imagined Reed would take it further and write out a new adventure for them. Which he did in a way, but not like what I was expecting. He retold the story of the novel through these two characters reminiscing their journey back when they were children. The two actors playing Lucy (Rebecca deBoer) and Peter (John Voth) both played countless other characters as the story unfolded, putting on new costumes and taking on different personas.
Voth’s Mr. Tumnus and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver was especially convincing, funny and each character was drastically different. His transformation from one character to another was breathtaking and entertaining. deBoer’s White Queen was commanding and cold, and the costume (Sheila White) really let her shine opposed to her default “Lucy” attire of a long brown skirt and pink cardigan. The lighting (John Webber) was stunning as well, using different colour schemes for Narnia and the wardrobe room, and the gobos showing soft snowflakes falling was also a highlight.
Though it’s not a fan-fiction version of the novel one might expect from reading the show blurb, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe directed by Sarah Rodgers is bound to be a Holiday favourite, with beautiful set, costume, and lighting along with the charming chemistry of John Voth and Rebecca deBoer.