UK & Ireland tour of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe extended with two new dates added

A major tour of C.S. Lewis’ classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe starring Samantha Womack as the evil White Witch has been extended with the addition of dates at New Wimbledon Theatre (12-16 April 2022) and the Bristol Hippodrome (3-7 May 2022).

Image: Chris Jared and Samantha Womack in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Credit: Hitz Rao. 

Brand new production photographs by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg have been released today and can be downloaded here. 

This week the show is in Aylesbury and continues its journey of the UK and Ireland to Southampton next week, then Sunderland, Salford, Cardiff, Aberdeen, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Canterbury, Plymouth, Glasgow, Birmingham, Dublin, Woking, Norwich, Wimbledon and then Bristol in May 2022.  

The National Press Night is at the Lowry in Salford on 9 December 2021 where the show will run over six weeks over the Christmas season.

Described by its Bristol based director Michael Fentiman as ‘total theatre’ this epic new production is a mixture of dance, puppetry and actor-musicianship.

Step through the wardrobe into the enchanted kingdom of Narnia. Join Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter as they wave goodbye to wartime Britain and embark on the most magical of adventures in a frozen, faraway land where they meet a faun, talking beavers, Aslan (the noble king of Narnia) and the coldest, most evil White Witch.

Samantha Womack, who plays Narnia’s evil White Witch said of her role:

‘Having been a huge fan of C S Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for as long as I can remember,  I am thrilled to be playing The White Witch. The book has always been a magical read and having watched incredible actors interpret this role in the past, I am excited to see what she holds for me. This production is so beautifully conceived with thrilling sets and costumes and an amazingly talented cast and creative team. I can’t wait to seduce, plot and terrify Narnia into a permanent winter’

Samantha Womack returns to the theatre after her recent success playing the lead role in the sold-out production of The Girl on the Train in the West End and on tour.  Sam’s past theatre roles include the Tony award-winning production of South Pacific in which she starred alongside Patrick Swayze, Guys and Dolls at London’s Piccadilly Theare (directed by Michael Grandage) and playing Emma in an award-winning production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal (directed by Sir Peter Hall). Her varied work on television has seen Samantha moving from comedy to drama with the cult success of BBC’s Game On and Babes in the Wood  to ITV’s gritty crime drama Liverpool 1, Imogen’s Face and Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders.  Films include playing the unhinged mother of Eggsy in the The Kingsman franchise sharing the screen with Colin Firth and Samuel L Jackson and playing Hazel in Jon Godbers  Up ‘n Under.  

Joining Samantha in the cast are:  Ammar Duffus (Peter Pevensie), Shaka Kalokoh (Edmund Pevensie), Robyn Sinclair (Susan Pevensie) and Karise Yansen (Lucy Pevensie).   Aslan is played by Chris Jared, Mr Tumnus by Jez Unwin, Mr Beaver by Sam Buttery and Maugrim by Michael Ahomka-Lindsay.  They are joined by Oliver Bingham (Mr Brinkworth, March Hare and Aslan Puppeteer), Scott Brooks (Mr Pope, Fox Trot, Associate Music Captain), Rachel Dawson (Miss Chutney, Blue Badger and Spirit of the Moon), Oliver Grant (Mr Wilson, Schrodinger, Red Squirrel and Aslan Puppeteer), Matthew James Hinchliffe (Mr Marsden, Mauve Mole), Tash Holway (on stage Swing, Dance Captain), Shaun McCourt (Mr Granville, Jack Rabbit, Aslan Puppeteer), Sophie Naglik (on stage Swing) Kate Parr (Miss Gumley-Warmley and Phoenix), Conor O’Kane (on stage Swing), Christina Tedders (Mrs Beaver), Brad Veitch (on stage Swing). Johnson Willis (Professor Kirk, Father Christmas, Wise Owl and White Mouse) aand Grace Wylde (Mrs Pevensie, Robin and Falcon)

The tour of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is directed by Michael Fentiman, based on the original production directed by Sally Cookson with original Set and Costume design by Rae Smith.

Michael’s previous productions include the Olivier Award-nominated Amélie (Watermill Theatre/The Other Palace/UK Tour and West End), The Windsors: Endgame (West End), The Importance of Being Earnest (Vaudeville Theatre), the 50th anniversary production of Joe Orton’s Loot (Park Theatre/Watermill Theatre), Titus Andronicus and Ahasverus (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Taming of the Shrew (Sherman Theatre/Tron Theatre) and, as director and writer, CinderELLA (Nuffield Southampton) and The Last Days of Anne Boleyn (Tower of London). 
 
Joining Michael Fentiman on the creative team are Tour Set and Costume Designer Tom Paris, Dramaturg Adam Peck, Composers Benji Bower and Barnaby Race who is also the Music Supervisor, Choreographer Shannelle ‘Tali’ Fergus, Lighting Designer Jack Knowles, Sound Designers Ian Dickinson and Gareth Tucker for Autograph, Puppetry Director Toby Olié, Puppetry Designer Max Humphries, Aerial Director Gwen Hales, Illusionist Chris Fisher, Music Director Toby Higgins, Movement Consultant Dan Canham, Casting Director Will Burton, Fight Director Jonathan Holby, Costume Supervisor Joanna Coe, Wigs and Make Up Supervisor Susanna Peretz, Props Supervisor Lizzie Frankl, and Associate Director James Callàs Ball.  

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is produced on tour by Elliott & Harper Productions and Catherine Schreiber and based on the original Leeds Playhouse production.  The show broke box office records when it opened at Leeds Playhouse in 2017 and played to packed houses and critical acclaim at the Bridge Theatre in London in 2019.