The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Cambridge University ADC
C @ 15:15, Aug 1-27 (not 13), (1hr 30mins), £7.50 (£6.50) (£4.50 C), £8.50 (£7.50) (£5.50 C), £9.50 (£8.50) (£6.50 C)
****
This, the first of C.S. Lewis’s tales of Narnia is remarkably well known and popular, and it’s brought to life beautifully by Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club with music, dance and a small orchestra.

Wasting no time in whisking the four perfectly portrayed children off to the professor’s house in the country, passing through a well used spinning wardrobe (the only permanent piece of set), the action reaches Narnia in hardly any time at all. Before long we’re lost in that magical, and decidedly allegorical world taking tea with talking animals and gorging upon Turkish delight with the evil White Witch.

Interspersed throughout with songs of varying style they pass thick and fast through so many of the stories memorable scenes. Slick and speedy scene changes keep the pace from dropping where it so easily could. At 90 minutes in the bothersome heat of a typical Edinburgh Fringe venue I must admit I found the length of the show becoming a bit of a struggle and doubted the necessity of some of the songs. However a quick scan of the audience proved that I was very much in the minority in this suffering as a small sea of child’s faces proved this show was quite able to keep the younger ones transfixed throughout.

As the show builds to its climax and the story reaches its close, we’re treated to some great music and action sequences, full of pace and vigour with the cast putting in their all and clearly loving it.
This is a great family show, brilliantly rendered by a very talented cast.

by Ian Phillips

The National Student's
2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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