Theatre News

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to transfer to the West End this summer

The production recently toured the UK and Ireland

| London |

20 May 2022

Chris Jared (Aslan) and Samantha Womack (The White Witch) in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe — Chris Jared (Aslan) and Samantha Womack (The White Witch) in *The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe*
© Hitz Rao

The stage production of C.S. Lewis' classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which recently toured the UK and Ireland, will make its West End premiere this summer at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.

The show will star Samantha Womack as the White Witch, and open on 28 July (previews from 18 July), playing a strictly limited season until 8 January 2023.

Full casting will be announced soon. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is directed by Michael Fentiman based on the original production by Sally Cookson. You can read our review of the tour here.

The story centres on 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 Mr Tumnus the faun, talking beavers, Aslan (the noble king of Narnia) and the evil White Witch.

Fentiman said: "The production celebrates the magic of live theatre and is led by a multi-talented cast of actors, singers, musicians, dancers and puppeteers; it is a celebration of the possibilities of the collective imagination and the boundless wonders of individual skill. This story, about a community battling hardship in the darkest of winters, who together find freedom again in the light of summer, couldn't be more pertinent for these times."

C.S. Lewis' 1950 novel has sold 85 million copies in 60 languages, and is one of the top ten best-selling books of all time.

Samantha Womack recently played the lead role in The Girl on the Train in the West End and on tour. Her past theatre roles include the Tony award-winning production of South Pacific, Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre (directed by Michael Grandage) and playing Emma in an award-winning production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal (directed by Peter Hall).

Joining Michael Fentiman on the creative team are set and costume designer Tom Paris, composers Benji Bower and Barnaby Race, 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, casting director Will Burton CDG, fight director Jonathan Holby, wigs, hair and make-up designer Susanna Peretz, props supervisor Lizzie Frankl for Propworks, dramaturg Adam Peck and movement consultant Dan Canham.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is produced by Elliott and Harper Productions and Catherine Schreiber and was first produced at the Leeds Playhouse.